For the past several years, I've tried to purchase meat from animals raised without hormones. I'm lucky to live near a couple of butchers shops that carry "natural" meats, but I'm not sure what, if any, rules apply to calling meats "natural." I assume that such meat comes from animals that were raised without hormones and without anitbiotics in their feed, but I've never known for sure.
Are there regulations that have to be met in order to label meat "natural," and if so, what are they?
Thanks for your time.
"Natural" meat
Started by
JAZ
, Sep 15 2003 08:09 AM
1 reply to this topic
#1
JAZ
-
- manager
- 4,854 posts
Posted 15 September 2003 - 08:09 AM
Janet A. Zimmerman, aka "JAZ"
Manager
jzimmerman@eGullet.org
eG Ethics signatory
About.com guide, Cooking for Two
Ten ways you can help the Society for Culinary Arts & Letters
#2
Evan Lobel
-
- legacy participant
- 23 posts
Posted 17 September 2003 - 10:01 AM
Hi Janet, This has been a very confusing situation for consumers and marketers
alike, but the USDA has developed very specific definitions of such
terms as natural, organic, certified, etc. In fact, the USDA's
definition of organic is in excess of 500 pages long.
Here is a link to the USDA Web site that defines many labeling terms and
the USDA's definitions.
http://www.fsis.usda...bs/lablterm.htm
Essentially, the term "natural" by USDA standards means "minimally
processed," i.e. does not fundamentally alter the raw product. The use
of subtherapeutic antibiotics and supplemental hormones ARE allowed.
By comparison, to be labeled organic, cattle must raised on certified
organic fed throughout its lifetime. Subtherapeutic antibiotics and
supplemental hormones ARE NOT allowed.
EL
alike, but the USDA has developed very specific definitions of such
terms as natural, organic, certified, etc. In fact, the USDA's
definition of organic is in excess of 500 pages long.
Here is a link to the USDA Web site that defines many labeling terms and
the USDA's definitions.
http://www.fsis.usda...bs/lablterm.htm
Essentially, the term "natural" by USDA standards means "minimally
processed," i.e. does not fundamentally alter the raw product. The use
of subtherapeutic antibiotics and supplemental hormones ARE allowed.
By comparison, to be labeled organic, cattle must raised on certified
organic fed throughout its lifetime. Subtherapeutic antibiotics and
supplemental hormones ARE NOT allowed.
EL
