Meat, Eggs and Dairy Label Guide

Common Claims | ASPCA Recommended Certifications | Other Certifications | Further Resources

Common Claims

The terms below, which often appear on the packaging of meat, egg and dairy products, may indicate better animal welfare but lack strong standards and have no on-farm verification processes, meaning farm conditions and the treatment of animals vary widely across producers.

Antibiotic ClaimsRoutine feeding of antibiotics is common on industrial farms to compensate for unhealthy confinement conditions or to promote growth. This overuse has led to the growth of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” which have serious impacts on public health. “Antibiotic-free” is not an approved claim because the USDA cannot verify that any product contains no antibiotic residue. “No antibiotics administered,” “no antibiotics added” and “raised without antibiotics” are claims allowed by the USDA if producers provide documentation showing that antibiotics were not introduced at any point in the animal’s life. Prohibiting antibiotic use on farms can indicate a healthier overall environment for animals, but there is no guarantee of that. In fact, bans may lead producers to withhold necessary treatment from sick animals. For products from farms using antibiotics in a more restrained way that protects both human health and animal well-being, look for one of the ASPCA-recommended certifications below.

Breed ClaimsClaims about animals’ breed—like Angus or Wagyu cattle, Berkshire pigs or just the generic term “heritage breed”—are becoming increasingly common as brands and restaurants look to distinguish their products in the marketplace. There are animal welfare benefits associated with true heritage breeds since they have not been bred to grow or produce at the same unnatural rates as the genetically manipulated breeds preferred by factory farms and conventional production. However, heritage breeds have not been formally defined, so the term is ripe for misuse. While these claims require documentation from a company to prove that it is using the breed it claims to use, there is no requirement for specific higher-welfare living conditions, transport or slaughter. Learn more about how the industry’s commonly used chicken breeds, in particular, negatively impact bird welfare here.

Cage-Free Claims“Cage-free” claims ensure that cages are prohibited, though they provide no other specifications or requirements on how to rear hens more humanely. For egg products from hens who are reared in cage-free environments with more space, necessary enrichment like perches and nests, and, in some cases, outdoor or pasture access, look for one of the ASPCA-recommended certifications below. Note: Chickens and turkeys raised for meat (as opposed to eggs) are not typically caged, rendering a cage-free label meaningless on poultry meat products.

Free-Range ClaimsMost farm animals are housed entirely indoors. The USDA requires producers using “free-range” or “free-roaming” claims to demonstrate that animals have “access to the outdoors,” but size, quality and length of access to that outdoor space is unregulated, so conditions vary greatly and are often subpar. For products from animals raised outdoors with adequate space, look for Animal Welfare Approved, Global Animal Partnership (Step 3 and above) or Certified Humane egg/poultry products that also say “free-range.” Learn more below.

Grass-Fed ClaimsCattle naturally consume grass as part of their diet, but over the past several decades, the beef industry has switched to feeding cattle mostly grain (e.g., corn), which negatively impacts their health. The USDA’s definition of “grass-fed” is not well-defined nor tightly regulated. For example, pasture access during the growing season is required, but producers are allowed to define the specifics themselves, resulting in huge variations, many of which are subpar. Feedlots are allowed in final months for USDA “grass-fed” products, as are antibiotics and hormones. Only “100% grass-fed” animals must be fed an entirely grass-based diet post-weaning, and 100% grass-feeding only applies to ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, goats and bison. Learn more below.

Hormone ClaimsHormone use in milk- and meat-producing cattle to increase production and weight is associated with welfare problems. The USDA allows “no hormones added” or “no hormones administered” claims if producers provide documentation that no hormones were used during the animal’s life, but this does not indicate more humane farming methods. Hormones are legally prohibited from use in chickens and turkeys, so this label adds no value on products from those species. “Hormone-free” claims are not approved by USDA since all animals produce hormones naturally. For products from animals who were not given hormones and lived in higher welfare environments, look for one of the ASPCA-recommended certifications below.

Humane ClaimsThe USDA does not define “humanely raised” or “humanely handled,” instead allowing producers to provide their own definitions, which are often based on standards employed on factory farms—therefore, the terms offer no assurance about animal welfare. For products from animals raised more humanely, look for ASPCA-recommended certifications that ban intensive confinement, require enriched, more spacious environments, and require on-farm checks by independent auditors to verify that hundreds of standards were met. Learn more below.

Natural Claims“Natural” as defined by USDA, only refers to how meat is processed after slaughter, not how an animal was raised. The USDA does not define “naturally raised,” nor does it require producers to offer any assurances about the conditions in which animals were raised to use this claim. For products from animals raised in more natural environments that allow them to engage in natural behaviors, look for one of the ASPCA-recommended certifications, below.

Pasture ClaimsWhile access to pasture is preferable to confined, indoor systems, the terms “pasture-raised,” “pasture-grown” and “pastured” are only loosely regulated by the USDA. This results in widely varying interpretations and animals sometimes spending very little time on pasture. For products from animals raised on pasture for their entire lives, look for a “pasture-raised” claim that is backed up by one of these certification labels: Animal Welfare Approved, Global Animal Partnership levels (Step 4 and above) or Certified Humane egg products. Learn more below.

Vegetarian-FedThe USDA requires that producers using “vegetarian-fed” claims provide documentation about the animals’ diet. These claims do not have a significant impact on animals’ living conditions, nor are they inherently better for animals. In fact, some farm animals, like chickens, are omnivores – eating grubs and insects as well as grains. For products from animals fed healthy diets, look for one of the ASPCA-recommended certifications below.

Certifications Recommended by the ASPCA

The ASPCA has identified three independent certification programs that ban or limit the most concerning practices animals experience on factory farms—including extreme confinement, crowding and painful physical alterations—and provide a better life for animals through their standards with compliance assessed by audits:

Animal Welfare Approved
Certified Humane
Global Animal Partnership

These three certifications represent a spectrum of higher-welfare farming systems, with standards ranging from systems where animals are housed entirely indoors to systems where animals are raised out on pasture. The ASPCA considers the baseline for improving the lives of farm animals to be housing systems where animals are raised indoors, without being confined to cages, crates or tie-stalls, with more space to move and with added environmental enrichments that enable animals to carry out critical natural behaviors, like rooting, pecking or perching. Physical alterations to animals, like castration and disbudding, should not be practiced but if needed, then they should be managed to reduce suffering as much as possible. Better still, are housing systems where animals have access to at least some outdoor space that provides access to fresh air and sunlight. The best housing systems are those where animals are raised outdoors on vegetated pasture where they can carry out all their natural behaviors.

The below chart shows where the ASPCA-recommended certifications fall with respect to the spectrum of higher-welfare farming systems.

Note: Some certifications audit different types of higher-welfare farming systems or can be strengthened by the presence of additional claims on the package. Typically, certifications’ audits are annual but can vary between 12-month to18-month cycles depending on the program. Each certification has a process to handle non-conformances during audits, requiring proof of correction within a specific time frame or the farm loses its certification. Certifications may also sometimes approve farms' requests to deviate from their standards.

Neither of these processes is publicly reported.

Animal Welfare Approved

A fully pasture-based animal welfare certification program, available only to smaller, independent farms.

Strengths: Requires continuous access to pasture or range for all animals. Feedlots and all forms of confinement, like cages, crates and tie-stalls, are prohibited, as are added hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics, both preventative or growth-promoting. Standards extend to animals used for breeding and require higher welfare breeds of animals to be selected. Standards cover transport and slaughter.

Limitations: Compliance is assessed by auditors on-farm, except for producer groups, wherein participating brands conduct a percentage of their own audits on farms. It is not possible to determine which products are from producer group arrangements.

Focus on small farms means AWA-certified products are limited in mainstream grocery stores.

Certified Grassfed by AGW

This optional, additional certification is earned by Animal Welfare Approved (AWA)-certified producers who are also verified by A Greener World for feeding their animals a 100% grass and forage diet from weaning onward. The Certified Grassfed by AGW label only applies to ruminants certified in the AWA program: beef and dairy cattle, meat and dairy sheep, meat and dairy goats, and bison.

Certified Humane ^®

An animal welfare certification program that includes standards for indoor housing systems with enrichments, free-range systems and pasture-based systems, available to farms of all sizes and structures. To find products that meet Certified Humane’s additional requirements for free-range, pasture-raised and grass-fed products, look for the Certified Humane logo and those respective claims on product packaging.

Strengths: If animals are raised indoors, more space, bedding and enrichment are required than is typical on industrial farms. Confining animals to cages, crates or tie-stalls is prohibited, as is giving animals added hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics. Standards extend to transport and slaughter. Many Certified Humane brands and farms are widely available in mainstream grocery stores.

Limitations: Standards do not extend to animals used for breeding, nor do they ensure higher-welfare breeds for animals, including broiler chickens.1 Compliance is assessed by auditors on-farm, except for producer groups and beef marketing groups, wherein participating brands conduct a percentage of their own audits on farms. It is not possible to determine which products are from producer group or beef marketing group arrangements.

Global Animal Partnership^® (G.A.P.)

An animal welfare certification program that utilizes a multi-level rating system where each successive step represents progressively better welfare and includes all the requirements of those below it. Lower levels apply to indoor farming systems with enrichments. The middle levels apply to free-range systems. The top levels apply to pasture-based systems. The program is available to farms of all sizes and structures.

Strengths: If animals are raised indoors, more space and enrichment or bedding are required than is typical on industrial farms. Cage and crate confinement, added hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited at all levels. Standards extend to animals used for breeding, and cover transport and slaughter. Compliance is assessed by auditors on every farm.

Limitations: Level 1 requires enrichment for some, but not all species. Feedlots are permitted at lower step levels. Producers can use a basic G.A.P. label without a corresponding level number on their products, making the step level difficult to identify. Standards do not ensure higher-welfare breeds — only the G.A.P. Better Chicken Project label shown below ensures higher-welfare chicken breeds are used. G.A.P. products almost exclusively found in Whole Foods Markets.

G.A.P. Better Chicken Project

This is an additional certification available to G.A.P. animal welfare-certified chicken producers, indicating that they have chosen one of G.A.P.’s Better Chicken Project eligible breeds tied to indicators of better welfare. For chicken products that meet G.A.P.’s animal welfare standards and breed eligibility criteria, look for the combined Animal Welfare Certified and Better Chicken Project Certified label.

Check out the Shop With Your Heart Grocery List and directory of local farms to find products with an ASPCA recognized certification.

Other Certifications

American Humane Certified™

American Humane Certified™

An animal welfare certification program that includes standards for both indoor and free-range systems, available to farms of all sizes and structures.

Strengths: If animals are raised indoors, more space is required than is typical on industrial farms. Prohibits the use of tie-stalls and added hormones. Standards extend to transport and slaughter. Compliance is verified by auditors on farm. Many American Humane Certified brands and farms are widely available from larger retailers.

Limitations: Standards do not prohibit combination cage confinement, also known as combi cages, for laying hens, nor gestation and farrowing crates for pregnant pigs, and they don’t require enrichments. Subtherapeutic antibiotics are permitted, as well as feedlots for beef cattle. Standards do not ensure higher-welfare breeds for animals.

American Grassfed Association®

American Grassfed Association^®

A grass-fed certification program for pasture-based systems, available to farms of all sizes and structures.

Strengths: Requires access to pasture for all cows, goats, sheep and pigs and a diet of 100% grasses for ruminants. Feedlots, cage and crate confinement, added hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited. Compliance is assessed by auditors on farm.

Limitations: Standards do not extend to transport or slaughter, nor do they cover painful procedures commonly performed on farm animals. Standards do not ensure higher-welfare breeds of animals are selected. Seasonal confinement, such as tie-stalls, of dairy cows is permitted.

USDA Organic

USDA Organic

An organic certification program with standards for free-range and pasture-based systems, available to farms of all sizes and structures. USDA passed new Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards with many critical welfare improvements that go into effect in 2025 and 2029.

Strengths: Requires outdoor access for all species, though the quality of outdoor space varies between species. Added hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited. Starting in 2025, standards extend to transport. Compliance is assessed by auditors on every farm.

Limitations: Chickens, turkeys and laying hens will not have meaningful outdoor access until 2029. Feedlots are permitted for beef cattle. There is no minimum indoor or outdoor space requirements for pigs. Standards do not extend to breeding animals or slaughter, nor do they ensure higher-welfare breeds for animals.

One Health Certified

One Health Certified

An industry-created certification program that claims to address animal welfare, human health and environmental protection, but is essentially an industry marketing tool. The program is currently limited to chicken and turkey products.

Strengths: None

Limitations: This program lacks adequate animal, human or environmental health standards or oversight, despite claiming these issues as core principles. The OHC standards allow producers to choose among American Humane Certified™ certification or voluntary industry guidelines set by either the National Chicken Council or the National Turkey Federation. All three options reflect conventional, industrial practices and do not ensure higher-welfare for animals. By aligning with these programs, OHC does not require meaningful stocking density limits, lighting schedules, environmental enrichment or healthy breeds, all of which are key components of improved poultry welfare. In addition, OHC allows for routine use of medically important antibiotics for disease treatment and control, without addressing the underlying causes of disease, including poor welfare.

Further Resources

Printable Label Guide (Español) [PDF]

Printable Label Guide (English) [PDF]

Higher Welfare Grocery List

Directory of Local Welfare-Certified Farms

Supermarket and Restaurant Request Letter

¹As of 2027, the ASPCA will only recognize chicken welfare certifications that require better breeds.

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