No growth-promoting antibiotics

  • This claim is not meaningful. Even though it is verified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture when found on a label of Shady Brook Farms or Honeysuckle White turkey, the claim is not meaningful because pharmaceutical companies are no longer selling medically important antibiotics specifically for the purpose of promoting growth in food animals. The label claim states that antibiotics can be used for disease prevention and treatment, which means that medically important antibiotics can still be used on a routine basis. To protect the efficacy of antibiotics, Consumer Reports urges a phase-out of antibiotics for disease prevention in animal agriculture.
Is the label verified?

Yes

Is the meaning of the label consistent?

Yes

Are the label standards publicly available?

No

Is information about the organization publicly available?

N/A

Is the organization free from conflict of interest?

No

Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?

No

“No growth-promoting antibiotics – antibiotics responsibly used only when needed for treatment or prevention of illness”

This label can be found on: Turkey

The claim is used by Cargill, a privately held company, on two of its turkey brands: Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White. Cargill’s claim is verified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verified Program.

What this label means 

The label means that the turkeys were not given antibiotics for growth promotion. The label claim states that antibiotics can still be used for preventing disease, which is permitted by the FDA and is common industry practice.

In 2013, the FDA issued guidance encouraging all pharmaceutical companies that sell antibiotics  for use in animal agriculture to discontinue selling medically important antibiotics specifically for the purpose of growth promotion. As of January 2017, the FDA reported that all companies have voluntarily complied, and as a result, medically important antibiotics will no longer be used be used for growth promotion. However, the FDA still allows antibiotics that are not  medically important to be added to animal feed for growth promotion, such as bacitracin. This label claims that no antibiotics are used for growth promotion, which slightly exceeds the industry norm of not using medically important antibiotics for growth promotion.  

Why it matters 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause more than two million infections, killing at least 23,000 people. The rise of antibiotic resistance is driven by the overuse of antibiotics, which can occur in many settings — doctor’s offices and hospitals, for example. But we cannot save antibiotics without meaningful changes to our food system, especially livestock and poultry production. This is because, in the U.S., the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production dwarfs their use in humans: about 80% of these drugs go to food animals.

As of January 2017, medically important antibiotics can no longer be sold for growth promotion uses. However, the use of antibiotics, including medically important antibiotics, for disease prevention continues. Antibiotic use compensates for poor farming practices such as overcrowding and poor sanitation, which leaves the animals vulnerable to disease. A system of raising food animals that needs antibiotics to prevent disease is not sustainable. Disease on farms should be prevented by raising animals in conditions that promote health and animal welfare.

The FDA’s guidance to phase out the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion purposes has not yet led to reductions in the use of antibiotics in food animal production, perhaps because antibiotics can be still be used on a routine basis to prevent disease. A report by the FDA released in December 2016 shows that sales and distribution of all antibiotics approved for use in food-producing animals continues to increase, with medically important antibiotics increasing by 2 percent from 2014 to 2015.

CONSUMER REPORTS EVALUATION

How meaningful is this label? 

Not meaningful.

While the labeling claim is verified, it is not meaningful because it almost entirely reflects the current norm in turkey production and therefore adds little value. In fact, the claim may be misleading, since an antibiotic used for disease prevention, which the label allows, may also act as a growth promoter, which the label says it does not allow.

Raising farm animals without antibiotics is an important practice to combat the public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. But this “no growth-promoting antibiotics” label does not mean that the animals were raised without antibiotics. To preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics, the industry should phase out the use of antibiotics for disease prevention as well, and focus instead on preventing disease by raising animals in living conditions that promote health and animal welfare.

This “no growth-promoting antibiotics” claim muddles the marketplace with a misleading label. Consumers may be led to believe that they are supporting farmers who are going the extra mile to protect the continued effectiveness of antibiotics when they choose this turkey product over another. Or they may think that there is little difference between a turkey product with this label and one that is certified organic (organic standards prohibit all antibiotics in poultry after day 1 of a chick’s life) or a label that says “no antibiotics administered.”

For assurance that turkeys were raised without antibiotics for growth promotion AND disease prevention, look for the following labels on turkey instead:

USDA Process Verified

Look for raised without antibiotics” or “no antibiotics, ever” claims with a USDA Process Verified seal.The USDA Process Verified Program, which verifies Cargill’s “no growth-promoting antibiotics” claim, also verifies meaningful claims such as “raised without antibiotics” and “no antibiotics, ever.” Consumers should look for these claims, accompanied by the USDA Process Verified seal.

USDA Organic

The USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics in organic animal agriculture, with the exception of poultry prior to the second day of life (in hatcheries). Look for a “raised without antibiotics” claim on a certified organic turkey product, because it means that the producer has submitted documentation to the USDA that antibiotics are not used at any point, including in the hatcheries. Other than in the hatcheries, the USDA Organic label signifies that a USDA-accredited certifier has verified the prohibition on antibiotic use after day 2.

USDA Organic label review.

Animal Welfare Approved

The Animal Welfare Approved standards prohibit routine antibiotic use (antibiotics can only be used to treat sick animals). The label is verified.

Animal Welfare Approved label review.

Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC)

The Humane Farm Animal Care standards for the Certified Humane label prohibit the use of antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention. Certified Humane does not have standards for hatcheries, so this requirement is not verified in hatcheries, where antibiotics such as gentamicin could be injected in eggs and day-old chicks. The label is verified.

Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 1-5+

For turkey, the use of antibiotics is prohibited for all Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step levels (Step 1 – Step 5+). The label is verified.

“No growth-promoting antibiotics – antibiotics responsibly used only when needed for treatment or prevention of illness”

Is the label verified?

Yes. The label on Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White turkey is verified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verified Program.

Is the meaning of the label consistent?

Yes.

Are the label standards publicly available?

No. The USDA’s “Official Listing of Approved USDA Process Verified Programs” document links to Cargill’s Shady Brook Farms webpage explaining that its turkeys are raised without growth-promoting antibiotics, but does not link to standards.

Is information about the organization publicly available?

N/A. The claim and the standard behind the claim were written by the company, and are not meaningful.

Is the organization free from conflict of interest?

No.  The claim was developed by Cargill, the company that sells the turkey with the label. It is therefore not free from conflict of interest. Verification is free from conflict of interest.

Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?

No. The claim and the standard behind the claim were developed by Cargill, the company that sells the turkey with the label.