Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
•
No hormones administered
: This lets consumers know that you did not use the growth
hormones often given to cattle in industrial operations. (Hormones are not approved for
use in poultry, pork, veal calves, or exotic species such as bison and goats, and there are
additional requirements if you say “no hormones administered” on products from these
species.) You cannot say “no hormones” because animals naturally produce their own
hormones.
•
No antibiotics administered
: This lets consumers know that you did not use growth hor-
mones, including a type called ionophores, that often are given to cattle in industrial op-
erations.
•
Natural
: A broad term for “minimally processed and containing no artificial ingredients.”
Minimally processed means that processing does not fundamentally alter the raw
product, which means no chemicals, preservatives, or artificial coloring were added to
the meat during or after processing; the label must clarify this. The USDA does not per-
form additional inspections for meat that is labeled “natural.”
Getting Certified
Some customers need the assurance of third-party certifiers before they will pay the premiums
prices for organic or grass-fed products. These certifications are most important for customers
who do not buy directly from farmers but at specialty grocery stores or restaurants.
It is not required, but you can have your production claims certified by a third-party agency.
AMS' Audit, Review, and Compliance branch (
www.ams.usda.gov/ARCaudits
)
has a link to
a list of accredited agencies at
www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/
ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateD&navID=GradingCertificationandVerfication&leftNav=GradingCertificationandVerfication&page=LSISO65Program
.
You must send in your certification papers when you apply for your label application.
The American Grassfed Association offers certification to assure customers that animals were
kept outside, raised on pasture-based diets, and were not given growth hormones or antibiot-
ics. To be certified by the AGA, you must be a member. You can find membership info, a list
of steps required for certification, and a link to the application on the AGA's website at
www.americangrassfed.org
.
If you apply for certification, your farm will be audited to de-
termine if you qualify. If you do not qualify, the AGA will send you a list of adjustments, so
you can meet compliance.
