Labels on Meat May Face Stricter Rules

Photo: Lisa Poole / AP Photo

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Earlier this year, Tyson Foods, a poultry products giant, was sued by competitors over the labeling on some of its products. The plaintiffs claimed Tyson falsely advertised that the company's birds were not medicated.

In fact, the food given to the chickens contained antibiotics, and though all of the companies involved in the suit used those antibiotics, Tyson was the only one claiming drug-free chickens ("raised without antibiotics," actually). A federal judge determined the ads were misleading.

Due to cases like this, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a public meeting today that will take place October 14 in Washington, D.C. to review its policies on the use of animal raising claims in the labeling of meat and poultry products.

The agency says in a press release that it approves animal raising claims on labels, so long as those claims are backed up by information submitted with the label application. The release also states that recent events involving claims on poultry product labels and the use of antibiotics illustrate the FSIS' need to ensure these labels are truthful.

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