October 23, 2007

 

USDA's standard for grass-fed labeling rejected by producer group

 

 

THE USDA recently issued voluntary standard for "grass (forage) fed" marketing claims have met been met with venom and fire by the American Grassfed Association.

 

The grass-fed standard states that grass and/or forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning.

 

The diet shall be derived solely from forage, and animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.

 

The USDA grass-fed standard came under fire from meat producers as consumers became confused with what the grass-fed standards actually entailed. 

 

As livestock and meat producers increasingly use production or processing claims to distinguish their products in the marketplace, USDA, through its voluntary certification and audit programmes, verifies the accuracy of these claims, the department's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) said.

 

The proposed standard will establish the minimum requirements for producers who choose to operate a USDA-verified programme involving a grass or forage-fed claim.

 

The American Grassfed Assn. (AGA), which represents more than 300 grass-fed livestock producers, rejected the USDA standards, saying it would allow confinement of animals and the use of hormones and antibiotics.

 

AGA also noted that since the USDA grass-fed standard only required animals to have access to pasture during the growing season, animals could be kept in confinement for long periods, and would have to be fed grain. Under these conditions, meat from these animals could still be marketed as grass fed.

 

However, AMS responded to these concerns in the Federal Register, that additional labeling claims can be made alongside the grass-fed claim, such as free range or no antibiotics or hormones administered.

 

AMS said it preferred to keep these terms separate instead of putting them under the grass-fed label.

 

Clearly not pleased with the arrangement, AGA recently announced that it was partnering Food Alliance, a national nonprofit certification organisation, to promote a separate standard and certification programme.