• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
The Healthy Home Economist

The Healthy Home Economist

embrace your right to a lifetime of health

Get Plus
  • Home
  • About
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Archives
  • Log in
  • Get Plus
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Get Plus
  • Log in
  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Archives
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Green Living
  • Videos
  • Natural Remedies
  • Health
  • Green Living
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Healthy Living / How to Identify Antibiotic-Free Meats (and not get tricked by labeling games)

How to Identify Antibiotic-Free Meats (and not get tricked by labeling games)

by Sarah Pope / Updated: Feb 6, 2023 / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Second-Hand Antibiotic Exposure 
  • Antibiotics in Animal Feed
  • Reading Meat Labels is Tricky
  • Not Fed Antibiotics
  • No Detectable Antibiotic Residue
  • No Antibiotics Used or Raised Without Antibiotics
  • Antibiotic-Free
  • How to Source 100% Antibiotic-Free Meats

How to decode labels on commercial meat packaging to identify whether the animals were raised without antibiotics 100% of the time.

man examining food label to identify antibiotic-free meat

Reading food labels is a bewildering experience for the majority of consumers. This confusion is purposely engineered in some cases to keep consumers guessing and product sales flowing.

MSG, for example, hides behind over 50 different labeling names.

Overwhelmed consumers are often deceived into buying products loaded with MSG that they would never buy if labels were clear and required full disclosure.

This very effective cat-and-mouse game is also played with other neurotoxins like aspartame (NutraSweet), sucralose (Splenda), and other artificial sweeteners consumers actively attempt to avoid.

These fake sugars are frequently hidden in sports drinks and other “low carb” fare too under the overly broad “natural” or “artificial” flavorings labels.

To avoid undesirable additives such as carrageenan and gassed meats, consumers must battle an ever-changing landscape of labeling gamesmanship played by food manufacturers, sadly aided and abetted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) itself.

Second-Hand Antibiotic Exposure 

Neurotoxins aren’t the only chemicals consumers are trying to avoid in their food.  

An ever-growing segment of the consumer market is seeking meat from animals raised without antibiotics due to concern over the rapid rise of superbugs like MRSA and the ever-plummeting age in which young girls are experiencing the onset of puberty. (2)

Both of these conditions are linked to low-dose antibiotics in animal feed.

A shocking 70% of all antibiotics in the United States every year are purchased by agribusiness for otherwise healthy livestock!

Antibiotics in Animal Feed

In Denmark, a ban on the use of antibiotics in animal feed drastically reduced antibiotic-resistant infections in people.

“The Danish Experiment” is a source of pride for the country’s thousands of farmers.

It provides strong evidence that low-dose antibiotics given to animals via feed can have health consequences for humans. (3)

Low-dose antibiotics fed to livestock via feed cause them to mature more quickly.

This may be one cause of early development in girls who consume meat and dairy produced from such animals. (4)

Reading Meat Labels is Tricky

Consumers concerned about the problems described above are changing their buying habits to avoid meat and milk from animals subjected to the daily insult of antibiotics in their feed. (5)

Unfortunately, they have their work cut out for them.

As with other undesirables like MSG and aspartame, antibiotics can hide behind confusing labeling nuances.

Not Fed Antibiotics

According to the USDA, a product labeled “Not Fed Antibiotics” or “No Subtherapeutic Antibiotics Used” may actually still come from an animal that was given antibiotics for illness or injury. (6)

An FDA antibiotic withdrawal period prior to “harvest” (slaughter) to reduce (but not necessarily eliminate) antibiotic residue in the meat must be observed for either of these labels to be used.

No Detectable Antibiotic Residue

Even more vague are meats with the label “No Detectable Antibiotic Residue“. (7)

Products with this label mean that “a statistical sampling analysis using a science-based protocol” was unable to detect any antibiotic residue.  

In other words, the animals could have been eating antibiotic-laced feed for the entire production phase but the farmer simply followed the prescribed FDA withdrawal phase before slaughter.  

If subsequent “science-based” tests failed to find antibiotic residue, the label is permitted.

No Antibiotics Used or Raised Without Antibiotics

The best labels for consumers seeking antibiotic-free meats at the store are “No Antibiotics Used” or “Raised Without Antibiotics“. (8)

These labels mean that the animal was raised from birth to slaughter with no antibiotics used at any time.

Antibiotic-Free

Interestingly, the USDA prohibits the label “Antibiotic Free”.

Thus, if you buy commercial meat, look for “No Antibiotics Used” or “Raised Without Antibiotics”.

Either of these labels is the best indication of a clean product.

How to Source 100% Antibiotic-Free Meats

For consumers who don’t want to play labeling games or keep up with regulations, buying from a local farm is best.

This way, you can familiarize yourself with how the animals are raised and observe production procedures.

I personally feel more comfortable trusting an actual person I’ve had a conversation with about how the animals are treated in both illness and health than a label that plays semantics games designed to deceive.

References

(1) A special thanks to Stanley Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue. Stanley helped me track down the USDA references for this article!

(2, 4) Effects of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors on Pubertal Development

(3) Denmark’s Case for Antibiotic-Free Animals

(5) Renewed Call to Get Antibiotics Out of Food

(6-8) USDA Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 250

FacebookPinEmailPrint
Category: Healthy Living
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

You May Also Like

egg yolks with unoxidized cholesterol

Does Cooking Eggs Oxidize the Cholesterol?

Komen (Not) for the Cure: The Complete and Utter Pinkwashing of America

boiled edamame in a bowl on bamboo mat

Edamame: When Green and Natural Doesn’t Equal Healthy

best kind of coconut milk on white background

Best Type of Coconut Milk (for health and storage)

What “Free Range”, “Cage Free” Chickens Really Look Like

Anti-Raw Milk State Changes Tune, Declares it LEGAL for Human Consumption

Feeling Tired More Than You Should?

Get a free chapter of my book Get Your Fats Straight + my weekly newsletter and learn which fats to eat (and which to avoid) to reduce sugar cravings and improve energy significantly!

We send no more than one email per week. You will never be spammed or your email sold, ever.
Loading

Reader Interactions

Comments (15)

  1. Diana

    Aug 17, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    What an interesting clarification. I am going to be reading descriptions carefully in the future!

    Reply
  2. girlichef

    Aug 17, 2010 at 9:04 pm

    What a very helpful article…I know many people will find this invaluable. Thank you for sharing it with Two for Tuesdays this week =)

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    Aug 14, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    I love your blog, and I think the farmer discussion suggestion is a good one, too! I'm a city girl but I now love talking to farmers. They really seem to appreciate an awareness and appreciation of sustainable practices, small farm struggles, related nutrition, etc. I think it's really important to make individual connections with those who raise our food — on the phone, in person, at farmer's markets, wherever — and encourage good practices. I love learning from them as well as piquing their interest in the benefits of pastured food, cholesterol, CLA, Nourishing Traditions, etc. I often bring them tidbits from the WAPF website and elsewhere. Just this week, I think I may have convinced a local grassfed farmer to get off statins — he seems so grateful for the info and new knowledge.

    Here's one more thing that it might be helpful to blog about — the use of soy in animal feed. It's a recurring thing I hear when talking to farmers. It's the default protein in most chicken and pig feed, cheap and subsidized, but I understand it adversely affects meat and eggs, and then us. Plus it's darn near impossible to know if it's GMO-free. If customers ask, with a genuine smile and some gentle persuasion, then it might help the situation.

    Beth

    Reply
  4. Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist

    Aug 14, 2010 at 12:22 am

    You know, that is a really excellent suggestion. I have visited so many farms, you kind of get the groove of it after awhile. No list of questions can make up for just getting the right "feel" about a place and a good, trusting relationship with your farmer so that you believe what they tell you – not to mention the flavor and taste of their product is excellent when things are done right at the farm.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    Aug 14, 2010 at 12:09 am

    Hi Sarah,
    This might sound like a stupid question, but how do you talk to the farmers? How do you know what to ask and what to look for? Do you visit their farms personally? Maybe you could do a "meet your farmer post" giving us a glimpse of the important points to look out for.
    :o)

    Reply
  6. Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist

    Aug 13, 2010 at 11:33 pm

    Hi Linda,

    Low dose antibiotics have been used for decades by agribusiness as it promotes faster growth in animals. Antibiotic residue in animal meat and milk may do the same in children. Here's an article about it:
    http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-29-antibiotics29_ST_N.htm

    Reply
  7. Linda

    Aug 13, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    We buy our chicken from Horizon Foods. It comes from a farm in PA and they do not use any antibiotics or hormones AT ALL. I do not buy beef since 2 of my family members do not tolerate it well.

    How is it that the antibiotics are the reason for girls developing earlier and not the growth hormones?

    I hope this actually posts. Sarah, I got your reply about my problems posting. I apologize for not responding back to you yet.

    Linda

    Reply
  8. Paul, The Uber Noob

    Aug 13, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    It looks to me like the 'norm' for agribusiness is to treat animals like machines. I find the whole industry rather sickening. It seems that our federal 'consumer' agencies really are the best that money can buy.

    Reply
  9. Anonymous

    Aug 13, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    Looks good to me. Thanks for spelling this out, I have has some questions about this myself.

    Reply
  10. Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist

    Aug 13, 2010 at 12:22 pm

    My blog software editor is giving me fits today .. Google made some changes yesterday and there are some spacing bugs. I've done my best to make this post legible. Thanks for your patience!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

The Healthy Home Economist

Since 2002, Sarah has been a Health and Nutrition Educator dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. Read More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Check Out My Books

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

Contact the Healthy Home Economist. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy.

Copyright © 2009–2023 · The Healthy Home Economist · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!