Health alert: ‘No antibiotics’ on the label? 7/12
(This article is adapted from the July 2012 ConsumerReports.org.)
Going shopping for a summer barbecue? Consider buying burgers, chicken, or steak raised without antibiotics, since that can help slow the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Most of the antibiotics sold in the U.S.-- about 80% -- actually are used on factory farms to make the animals grow faster and to prevent disease in crowded and unsanitary conditions.
That creates "superbugs" on farms, which are dangerous bacteria resistant to one or more antibiotics. That can be a real problem if you get sick and your antibiotics don't work.
The declining effectiveness of antibiotics has become a national public-health crisis, leading doctors and scientists to call for much more careful use of antibiotics so that disease-causing organisms don’t become immune to them. Both supermarkets and consumers can have a major impact on this problem through their purchasing decisions.
Jean Halloran, director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumer Reports, says: "We are urging consumers to say no to meat raised with antibiotic drugs to help stop the superbugs."
Unfortunately, when you’re in the store it's not always easy to understand what "no antibiotics" labeling means. So Consumer Reports sent secret shoppers to 136 supermarkets in 23 states and collected info on more than 1,100 meat packages. Experts did additional research and analyzed the labeling.
Just to be clear, shoppers’ findings represent a snapshot of offerings on the day they visited a particular store, and may not be indicative of products offered on other days or at other branches. Consumer Reports also conducted earlier labeling research in 2011 and continue to analyze the claims in the market going forward.
What shoppers found
There were big differences among retailers. Whole Foods, for example, guarantees that all meat and poultry sold in its stores is never treated with antibiotics. Shoppers also found wide selections of meat and poultry raised without antibiotics at Giant, Hannaford, Shaw's, and Stop & Shop. At the other extreme, shoppers at Sam's Club, Food 4 Less, Food Lion, and Save-A-Lot stores could not find any such meat or poultry.
Labels to look for in the store
The shoppers found a bunch of different labels related to antibiotic use, such as, "never ever given antibiotics" and "antibiotic-free." The first one might sound silly, but is actually approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The second one is not. What should you look for on the label? Two good choices are described below.
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
Organic
Adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic rules, which prohibit antibiotic use on livestock, must be verified on-site by an independent accredited certifier, so you can have a high level of confidence that any meat or poultry labeled “USDA Organic” comes from animals that never have been given any antibiotics.
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
No Antibiotics Administered and variations
"No antibiotics" claims show up on labeling in many variations, such as "No antibiotics added" or "Never ever given antibiotics." This labeling is helpful but provides even more reliability when accompanied by a "USDA Process Verified" shield, which indicates the company paid to have the agency verify the claim. Backing by a private certifier, such as Global Animal Partnership for Whole Foods meat, is equally reliable.
Labeling not to rely on
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
Natural
"Natural" may sound as good or better than organic, but according to the USDA, it means only that the final product contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is only minimally processed. Antibiotics might have been used in raising “natural” meat and poultry unless you also see a claim on the labeling indicating that they were not. While "natural" is approved by the USDA, it is not meaningful when it comes to antibiotics being prohibited.
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
Antibiotic-Free
The USDA specifically says it never authorizes the use of “antibiotic-free,” so this claim has no clear or consistent meaning in the marketplace and should not appear on packaging.
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
No Antibiotic Residues
This is not a USDA-approved claim. Antibiotics can be heavily used in the growing process for pigs and chickens, but must be withdrawn for a period of days or weeks prior to slaughter, so that residue levels fall below Food and Drug Administration tolerance thresholds. Technically, meat carrying this labeling could be free of antibiotic residue, despite use of drugs earlier in the animal’s life.
 | | Photo taken in Spring 2012. |
No Antibiotic Growth Promotants
This potentially misleading claim also is not approved by the USDA. Even though an animal may not have been given antibiotics for growth promotion, it still could have received them on a daily basis to prevent disease, which is the main use for the drugs in crowded growing facilities.
Related links
Antibiotics are widely used by meat industry. 6/12
Download a PDF of the full report, "Meat on Drugs." 6/12
Eco-labels: Get the truth behind labels and standards.
Visit NotInMyFood.org for more on food safety.
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