Food labels, claims and animal welfare

In the United States, consumers have a lot of choice when it comes to food products. Various claims and labels on the products provide consumers with information about how the animals were raised and treated during production. However, the information on animal products can sometimes be confusing. This article explains some of the common labels and claims found on animal products and describes the relationships between these labels and claims and animal welfare.

What are food labels and claims?

Food labels are tags or information on food products that provide information about the product, such as the ingredients, nutritional information and additives. Food labels typically provide facts and objective information about the product.

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In addition to food labels, companies can include other types of information or voluntary claims on the products, such as how the animals were raised, what the animals were fed and whether or not the animals were raised using enhanced or specific animal welfare practices. Claims tend to be more subjective than food labels, and claims can be included on a food label. Labels and claims related to animal welfare help consumers to choose food products that align with their values and ethical views.

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How are food labels and claims regulated and approved?

Some labels are required to be included on food packaging, such as those related to the nutritional content of the product. Other labels and claims, such as those related to how the animals were raised, are voluntary, meaning that companies can choose whether or not to include these claims on the product. However, if a product is an FSIS-regulated product, then all labels on that product need to be approved by FSIS before entering the stream of commerce.

There are different approval processes depending on the label’s information. Some labels and claims are eligible for generic approval which means that the label does not need to be submitted to the FSIS for approval. Other types of labels and claims undergo sketch approval, in which case the label and claim need to be submitted to the FSIS along with supporting documentation before these claims can be placed on the products (Caracciolo, no date). Specifically, any labels that have claims about how the animals were raised need sketch approval from the FSIS (USDA FSIS, 2019). For example, if a company claims that poultry products are from Pasture Raised poultry, then the company needs to have approval from the FSIS before including that information on the label. Furthermore, FSIS requires that the company also includes a definition or explanation of Pasture Raised on that product (FSIS, 2019).

Voluntary claims and audits

Any company can make voluntary claims about animal welfare on its products. As discussed above, the FSIS needs to approve the claims on FSIS-regulated products before use. Some claims can be verified through a third-party auditing process to ensure that the claims are accurate, but many claims can be used without undergoing third-party auditing. The company producing the product can decide what type of claim to include on the product and whether or not a claim is verified through a third party. In third-party auditing, an individual or organization who is not affiliated with either the company producing the product or the organization responsible for the claim verifies that the animals are raised in accordance with the claim’s standards. Thus, third-party auditing provides an additional way of assuring consumers that the claims on the product are accurate.

An example of third-party auditing is the American Humane Certified® seal of the American Humane Association (AHA) that can be found on certain food products. The AHA is one of several certification organizations within the U.S. that has a set of animal welfare standards that need to be met for producers to be able to use the American Humane Certified seal on their products. A third-party auditor visits farms to verify whether the producer is following the AHA’s standards before that producer can use the American Humane Certified seal. Products with the American Humane Certified seal (or another animal welfare certification) tell consumers that the animal products with that seal came from animals raised under enhanced animal welfare standards.

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The American Humane Association is only one of several organizations that have an animal welfare assurance program and associated seals. Other food labels from animal welfare certification programs for poultry include Certified Humane Raised and Handled, Certified Animal Welfare Approved, Farm Animal Care Training and Auditing (FACTA) Humane Certified, Global Animal Partnership, Good Food Purchasing Program and Food Alliance Certified. Other companies and Industry organizations such as the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, and United Egg Producers have their own animal welfare standards that may be subject to third-party certification, but may not be associated with a specific food label. Some poultry certification programs are discussed in a previous newsletter, Broiler welfare assurance programs in the United States (January, 2022).

Common claims and what they mean

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Conclusion: consumers need to do their homework

Consumers have a choice when it comes to the products they purchase and consume, but this also means that consumers can be confused by the types and amount of information present on products. In order to make informed choices, consumers need to be aware of the various claims related to animal welfare and what they mean. Some claims may seem to be associated with animal welfare, but they are not. In addition, some claims have consistent definitions and/or are regulated by the federal government, whereas many are not. Food manufacturers need to ensure that the information on their products is accurate. However, for animal welfare-related claims, it is often up to consumers to do their own research about what the claims mean.

This article was originally published on Poultry Extension Collaborative (PEC) and it is reproduced here with permission from the authors.

Food labels, claims and animal welfare

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