USDA takes on animal-raising claims

The US Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Sept. 30 issued an updated compliance guideline on documentation required to support animal-raising claims that must be submitted before the claims may be used on product labels. Examples of such claims include “raised without antibiotics,” “organic,” “grass-fed,” “free-range,” and “raised without the use of hormones,” among others currently in use or that may be used in the future.  The FSIS previously issued a compliance guideline on animal-raising claims in 2002. The agency said changes from the earlier guideline contained in the new version include definitions for frequently used animal-raising claims, the detailed supporting documentation required for each specific claim that appears on the label, additional information regarding the claim “grass-fed,” information required for duplicating animal-raising claims from purchased products, and examples of labels bearing claims.