Meat And Livestock Marketing Terms

Terms that describe the way livestock are raised:

Certified Organic— Livestock must be raised on a “certified organic” farm or ranch according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards. Farmers certify their land by working with an accredited certifying agency, such as a State Department of Agriculture. Organic livestock must be organic from gestation, fed only certified organic feeds and processed organically by the butcher (a separate certification process undertaken by the processor).

Naturally Raised— According to the USDA, this means livestock are raised without growth promotants or antibiotics, and never fed animal by-products. NOTE: This claim is different from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) term “natural,” which means that a meat product does not contain artificial flavors, colorings, chemical preservatives or other synthetic ingredients, and is minimally processed.

No Antibiotics— This means the livestock never received antibiotics.

No Hormones— This means the livestock never received growth hormones. NOTE: Federal law prohibits giving hogs growth hormones.

The following terms apply to cattle, not hogs:

Grass-Fed— According to the United States Department of Agriculture, this means that the cattle ate only grass and forages (leafy plants), never grain or grain by-products, and had continuous access to pasture during the growing season. Grass-fed cattle may or may not be organic

Corn-Fed— Most cattle are fed grain—usually corn—towards the end of production to increase their size and marble their meat. Corn-fed cattle may or may not be organic.

The following term applies to hogs, not cattle:

Pastured or “Pasture Raised”— While not an official term, this typically means that the hogs were raised spending most of their time outdoors on pasture. There are many variations of this claim. Ask the farmer specifically what he/she does.

The following terms apply to meat, not livestock:

Halal— These meats come from animals that have been slaughtered and processed according to Islamic law and certified by an Islamic authority.

Kosher— These meats come from animals that have been slaughtered and processed according to Jewish law and certified by a Jewish authority.

Natural— A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and which is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product). Different from “naturally raised” (see above).

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