“Humanely Raised” Food Labels May Soon Be Regulated by the USDA

Published on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, by nicholassday / Edit Post

As a vote nears on California’s controversial Proposition 2, which would mandate larger cages for some farm animals and ban battery cages for hens, the Christian Science Monitor takes a critical look at the different humane labels on grocery shelves.

In short, they’re a mess. The story’s tied to a new report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which categorized the relative worth of different humane claims and then surveyed the number of humanely labeled products available at the top 25 supermarket companies in the United States. Whole Foods ranks first, with nearly double the product selection of second-place Wegman’s. Trader Joe’s scores a lower-than-expected ninth and Wal-Mart falls to the penultimate spot.

It’s a smart survey: It doesn’t give points for saying “no hormones” on poultry or pork products since, well, using hormones on either would be illegal.

The most significant humane labels—Certified Humane, American Humane Certified, Animal Welfare Approved—are all accredited by the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS); in the near future, it looks likely that all humane labels may be federally regulated. An official with the WSPA “anticipates future collaboration with AMS on the part of the three humane labeling groups, hoping that national standards can be set, and a single label be overseen by AMS, as has been done with the National Organic Program.” Whether consumers would trust a humane label that’s exclusively overseen by the USDA is another story.

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  • Man thats fcking sick.. What is this world coming to

  • We agree that labeling can be very confusing which is why we at Animal Welfare Approved are focused on having a truly transparent program. Retailers and the vast agricultural monopolies regularly mislead their consumers as the recent discussion around Tyson's antibiotic-free claim demonstrates. Tyson's argument--that because the treatment occurred while the chick was in the egg, antibiotics had...+READ

    We agree that labeling can be very confusing which is why we at Animal Welfare Approved are focused on having a truly transparent program. Retailers and the vast agricultural monopolies regularly mislead their consumers as the recent discussion around Tyson's antibiotic-free claim demonstrates. Tyson's argument--that because the treatment occurred while the chick was in the egg, antibiotics had not been used on a "live" animal--is a particularly insidious piece of semantics, designed to mislead shoppers looking for a product without antibiotics. The court will ultimately make that decision for us.

    Your post states, "it looks likely that all humane labels may be federally regulated. An official with the WSPA 'anticipates future collaboration with AMS on the part of the three humane labeling groups, hoping that national standards can be set, and a single label be overseen by AMS, as has been done with the National Organic Program.'"

    Although no such discussion is underway, I agree it would be helpful for consumers to have a single welfare label. However, Animal Welfare Approved is the only label banning confinement and feedlot production. Other programs would have to significantly raise their standards to join us. Unfortunately, some organic operations may have to come a long way as well; not all organic livestock production is high-welfare or sustainable and it certainly isn't often carried out by independent family farms, a requirement of our program. Even so, we welcome constructive cooperation to change the horrific abuse that is carried out daily not just by "the bottom feeders," but by an industry designed to maximize profit and treat animals as mere indices of production.

    We don't object to federal oversight that is honest, transparent and properly enforced. We have written regularly to Secretary Schafer asking that USDA inspectors enforce current legislation. Until they do, we cannot support any new rules no matter how noble the intent. Regulation without implementation is the same as no regulation.

    We also believe that third-party confirmation of production labels is critical. Having an objective, accurate evaluation of any farming system is beneficial to the farmer and consumer: it gives the farmer an endorsement of his or her practices, and it gives the consumer assurance that the farmer adhered to those practices.

    Outside of visiting the farm in person, the Animal Welfare Approved label is the most reliable indicator of good farm animal welfare; WSPA has said that Animal Welfare Approved has the "most stringent" of the three welfare labels. So if your readers are looking for a high welfare meat product raised sustainably by family farmers, just ask "Is your food animal welfare approved?"

    Andrew Gunther
    Program Director
    Animal Welfare Approved
    www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org-COLLAPSE

  • "Also, exclusive oversight by the USDA?"

    I agree, the bureaucracy is always suspect. Do you have a better idea, bwave?

  • Point of clarification:
    Food labels that make animal welfare-related claims are already regulated (albeit not well) by the Agriculural Marketing Service of the USDA. Also, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was misquoted in the Christian Science Monitor article. We do not necessarily support the concept of one humane label along the lines of the National Organic Program.
    ...+READ

    Point of clarification:
    Food labels that make animal welfare-related claims are already regulated (albeit not well) by the Agriculural Marketing Service of the USDA. Also, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was misquoted in the Christian Science Monitor article. We do not necessarily support the concept of one humane label along the lines of the National Organic Program.
    Dena Jones
    Program Manager
    World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
    www.EatHumane.org-COLLAPSE

  • sad really, how the labeling for naturally raised and naturally grown has been taken over. makes it difficult to know the right choice...which is the point.
    Also, exclusive oversight by the USDA? ...hmmm