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Living/Raising/Raising Conditions
These claims refer to the environment in which the animals or birds were raised during their lifespan. Examples of this type of claim include but are not limited to: Cage or Crate Free, Free Range**, Not Confined, Free Roaming, Pasture Fed, Pasture Grown, Meadow Raised, and Pasture Raised. NOTE: For all of the above claims, additional terminology is necessary on the label to define its meaning on livestock products and to convey that the animals were never confined to a feedlot. Because FSIS has not defined these claims in the regulations or policy guidelines, nearly all living/raising conditions claims need to describe the standards used to define that claim as applied to that particular product, e.g., “Cage free. Chickens were never confined to cages during raising.” The information must appear with the claim or be connected by a symbol on the same panel on which the claim appears. As an alternative, these living/raising claims can be certified by a third-party certifying organization that posts its standards for defining the claim on its website. If the claim is certified by a third-party certifying organization, FSIS will not approve the label bearing the claim if it does not include the certifying entity’s name, website address, and logo, when the organization has a logo. An asterisk or other symbol must connect the claim to this information.
**Based on consultations with AMS, FSIS determined that additional terminology is not needed on the label for the claim Free Range or synonymous claims (“Free Roaming,” “Pasture Fed,” Pasture Grown,” “Pasture Raised,” and “Meadow Raised”) on poultry products. However, for FSIS to approve these claims, additional documentation must be submitted to substantiate the claim. Specific details about what additional information is needed is provided below.
Documentation needed:
1. A detailed written description explaining controls for ensuring that the animals are raised in a manner consistent with the meaning of the raising claim that is valid from birth to harvest or the period of raising being referenced by the claim.
2. A signed and dated document describing how the animals are raised to support that the claims are not false or misleading;
3. A written description of the product tracing and segregation mechanism from time of slaughter or further processing through packaging and wholesale or retail distribution; and
4. A written description of the identification, control, and segregation of nonconforming animals/product.
As part of 1 or 2 above, for the claim Free Range on poultry products, the documentation must describe the housing conditions for the birds and demonstrate continuous, free access to the outside throughout their normal growing cycle. During the winter months in a northern climate, birds are not free range if they stay in poultry housing or coops all winter. Producer documentation to support the use of the claim for birds raised in a northern climate during winter months would also need to describe the housing conditions for the birds and demonstrate continuous, free access to the outside throughout their normal growing cycle.
As part of 1 or 2 above, for the claims Free Roaming, Pasture Fed, Pasture Grown, Pasture Raised, and Meadow Raised on meat or poultry products, documentation that will typically substantiate these claims will show that the animals or birds have continuous, free access to the outdoors throughout their usual grow-out period. For ruminants, this means the entire grazing season for the geographical area. NOTE: See label example
