Help Stop Deceptive Labeling
Dear John,
What image comes to mind when you see "free range" or "pasture raised" on the label of a meat or poultry product? Cows contentedly grazing in an open field? Pigs basking in the sunshine? Chickens pecking at insects in the yard?
What you probably don't think of is animals housed indoors, with only occasional access to a small barren lot. If that's true, you may be disappointed to learn that the USDA has recently moved to allow producers to use these claims, and similar claims like "free roaming" and "meadow raised," without requiring them to adhere to meaningful standards. Because of the USDA's lack of oversight, producers can call their products "free range" without providing any range, or "pasture raised" without providing any pasture.
AWI has investigated the USDA's label approval process for "free range" and "humanely raised" claims to determine if consumer expectations are being met. The investigations have revealed insufficient review by the department of these high-value animal-raising claims, allowing producers to mislead consumers and hurt farmers who actually do provide animals with better care. In fact, the USDA has approved a majority of such claims based solely on brief affidavits--or no supporting evidence whatsoever--from the producer. Moreover, the department allows producers to define these claims themselves, leading to confusion and inconsistency that harms consumers, higher-welfare farmers, and animals.