USDA Organic: A No Antibiotics Label You Can Trust

How to decipher antibiotic claims on food labels

Published: March 16, 2015 06:00 AM

If the label on a package of meat in the grocery store proclaims it has "no antibiotics/organic," you should know: That's a label you should look for.

About 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in farm animals. They are mostly employed in industrial farming to prevent the animals from getting sick because of the conditions in which they're raised. The overuse of those drugs is a major cause of antibiotic resistance. In other words, they're no longer effective against certain bacteria. That can make infections more difficult to treat.

Find out more about the labels on meat. And learn more about what's in the food you eat.

Consumer Reports' advice: There are many claims about antibiotic use, but not all of them are meaningful. The "USDA Organic" label is one of the best guarantees that the animal didn't receive antibiotics. When it comes to poultry, however, organic birds can still be given antibiotic injections while they're in eggs or during their first day of life under current USDA guidelines. So to be sure, look for a "no antibiotic" claim alongside "organic."

Any claim about antibiotic use accompanied by a "USDA Process Verified" label is reliable. "Animal Welfare Approved" is another good label. It means that the animal was raised in a healthy way, and healthy animals aren't given antibiotics.

Which labels can't you trust? "Antibiotic free," "no antibiotic residues," and "no antibiotic growth promotants" are unapproved claims. "Natural" on a label is also misleading. On meat, it means that the product was minimally processed and has no coloring or artificial ingredients, not whether the animal was given antibiotics.