What's in the Meat You Eat?
Greentips: October 2003
Did you know that approximately 70 percent of all antibiotics and related drugs produced in the United States are given to livestock and poultry? These drugs are used for nontherapeutic purposes such as accelerating growth and preventing the diseases caused by overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on "factory farms." Unfortunately, this practice results in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause difficult-to-treat diseases in humans.
You can help stop this problem by making smart meat purchases. Meat from animals raised without antibiotics is available but shoppers need to look carefully at product labels. There are a number of labels meant to appeal to discriminating consumers, but they do not all mean the same thing or carry the same weight. Here's what you need to know the next time you see the following labels at the supermarket.
Certified Organic: Meat that bears this label is raised without the use of antibiotics or related drugs and meets other rigorous standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When organically raised animals become sick, they are treated with antibiotics but do not receive the organic label. A third party certifies these standards.
No Antibiotics Added/Raised Without Antibiotics: This label indicates that the animals have not been fed antibiotics at any point in their lives. Meat from sick animals treated with antibiotics cannot be sold under this label claim. Although the USDA approved the use of this claim, compliance is not certified by a third party.
Natural/All-Natural: The USDA defines a "natural" meat product as one that "contain[s] no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed." Meat labeled "natural" may or may not have been treated with antibiotics.
Free-Range/Free-Roaming: These labels have been approved by the USDA for poultry that have been allowed access to the outdoors (though they may never actually go outdoors) but the claim implies nothing about the antibiotic use practices of the producer.
In addition, nonprofit organizations such as the American Humane Association, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Food Alliance offer certifications for meat producers who adhere to a specific set of standards and administer antibiotics for therapeutic uses only. You may also want to investigate whether there are organizations in your area (including state agencies) that inspect local farms and offer their own certifications. Ideally, shop at local farmers' markets whenever possible and ask the farmers how their meat is raised. Supporting farmers who don't give antibiotics to their animals helps make the meat production system more sustainable.
