The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued updated guidance on substantiating animal-raising and environment-related labeling claims on meat and poultry products. In the revised guideline, FSIS strongly encourages companies to use third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising and environment-related claims and emphasizes more robust documentation. The updated guideline also recommends that companies using “negative” antibiotic claims, such as “No Antibiotics Ever,” implement routine sampling and testing programs to detect antibiotic use in animals prior to slaughter or obtain third-party certification that includes testing.
