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What do those labels you see on animal products really mean? Get the story behind the labels.

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Animal Product Labeling

 
October 4, 2023
By Trevor McCarty

Farm Forward’s Letter to State Attorneys General Encourages Action on Antibiotic Labeling

Farm Forward sent a letter to state attorneys general encouraging them to take action on antibiotic labeling.

 
September 19, 2023
By Trevor McCarty

Farm Forward’s Letter to the USDA Advocates for More Transparency in Meat Labeling

Farm Forward sent a letter to the Deputy Undersecretary of Food Safety at the USDA sharing our concerns and offering actionable recommendations that would help ensure consumer trust in meat labeling.

 
August 25, 2023
By Trevor McCarty

Farm Forward Survey: humanewashing erodes consumer trust

This year, we partnered with the research firm Data for Progress to test some of our hypotheses about consumer understandings of everything from “pasture raised” to Global Animal Partnership’s “Animal Welfare Certified” label.

 
July 26, 2023
By Andrew deCoriolis

Judge Rules Lawsuit Against Whole Foods Can Proceed

A federal judge in California ruled that the consumer protection lawsuit alleging Whole Foods Market falsely advertised its beef as “no antibiotics, ever” can proceed.

 
June 15, 2023
By Andrew deCoriolis

Lawsuit update: Whole Foods is stonewalling

Whole Foods is objecting to proceeding with discovery. It’s not a good sign that the largest natural retailer in the country, which built a reputation on being honest and transparent, won’t share even the most basic information with the public about who supplies their meat or give assurances that they’ve taken steps to ensure their marketing claims are true.

 
June 14, 2023
By Andrew deCoriolis

USDA’s Latest Changes to Meat Labels are a Step in the Right Direction, But More is Needed

The USDA announced changes to the guidelines meat companies must follow if they want to label their products as “humanely raised,” “free range,” or “raised without antibiotics.”

 
April 19, 2023
By Trevor McCarty

Better Business Bureau rules OHC should discontinue animal welfare claims

Last month, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau (NAD)—an institution designed to bolster consumer trust in advertising by investigating claims made by businesses—recommended that One Health Certified (OHC) discontinue its animal welfare claims.

 
March 30, 2023
By Farm Forward

US Senators ask USDA to review “humanely raised” and “sustainably raised” labels

The ask cites a recently published Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) report documenting the USDA’s failure to regulate animal-raising claims on meat found in grocery stores. Over 80 percent of the animal-raising claims on meat and poultry products that AWI requested information about from the USDA had no, or inadequate, information submitted to the USDA for the approval of the claim.

 
November 16, 2022
By Trevor McCarty

US consumers would be concerned upon learning where meat really comes from

Findings from our recent survey show what American consumers understand about the farmed-animal industry; promising insights, and some troubling beliefs.

 
October 18, 2022
By Dani Sher

Humanewashing by meat companies and leading retailers pushes small farmers out of business

Major corporations cash in on so-called “humane” labels like “antibiotic free”, “natural”, and “organic”, even though their corresponding husbandry practices almost never match consumers’ expectations for animal welfare.

 
August 23, 2022
By Andrew deCoriolis

Farm Forward Sues Whole Foods for Deceiving Consumers About Antibiotic Use in “Antibiotic Free” Meat

Whole Foods Market has claimed all of their meat products come from animals not treated with antibiotics, but our findings suggest otherwise.

 
May 24, 2022
By Andrew deCoriolis

Censored: Ad Exposing Whole Foods’ Antibiotics Deception

Farm Forward’s public service announcement was censored in the two cities where Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting kicked off. Read why.

 
May 18, 2022
By Trevor McCarty

You Can Thank This Chicken Industry Trade Group for Big Poultry’s Humanewashing

The National Chicken Council’s response to New York Times enlightening video misses the mark, and on purpose, for these reasons. Learn more.

 
April 20, 2022
By Farm Forward

Timeline of Farm Forward’s Antibiotics Testing & Coverage

The history of Farm Forward’s efforts to reveal the truth behind Whole Foods advertising practices around animal products tells its own tale.

 
April 6, 2022
By Andrew deCoriolis

More drugs found in “antibiotic-free” meat certified by Global Animal Partnership

Beef certified by Global Animal Partnership (GAP), the animal welfare certification used primarily by Whole Foods Market, was found to contain antibiotic residue despite GAP’s and Whole Foods’ claims that their meat is “antibiotic-free.”

 
April 4, 2022
By Andrew deCoriolis

Farm Forward Finds Drugs in Certified Meat at Whole Foods 

Farm Forward has found a variety of drugs, including an antibiotic, in meat certified as having “no antibiotics, ever” taken from products purchased from Whole Foods store shelves.

 
March 29, 2022
By Andrew deCoriolis

Whole Foods’ “Better Chicken” Isn’t What You Think

GAP’s “better chicken” is better for business, but consumers, public health, the environment, and, of course, the chickens themselves are not necessarily better off when factory farmed products are viewed more favorably.

 
November 9, 2021
By Ben Goldsmith

Think You Can Find a Humanely Raised Turkey at Whole Foods for Thanksgiving? Think Again.

You may be with the majority of Americans who rely too heavily on label claims by meat manufacturers but are we also duped by the certifiers?

 
October 6, 2021
By Dani Sher

Giant Eagle Drops “One Health Certified” Label Amidst Humanewashing Backlash 

Grocery chain Giant Eagle has revealed its plans to phase out all “One Health Certified” (OHC) chicken from its stores.

 
July 18, 2021
By Andrew deCoriolis

Comedian Myq Kaplan Takes on Humanewashing in New Video 

Myq Kaplan of Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and Letterman fame has narrated a thought-provoking new video to combat false advertising by massive meat, egg, and dairy companies.

 
April 21, 2021
By Andrew deCoriolis

Farm Forward Campaign and Ad Blitz Denounce ALDI’s Deceptive New Chicken Label

Farm Forward has kicked off a campaign and ad blitz calling out the meat industry’s latest deceptive marketing scheme, “One Health Certified” (OHC), which now adorns Batavia, Illinois-based ALDI’s store-brand chicken.

 
January 25, 2021
By Andrew deCoriolis

Coalition Blasts “One Health Certified” Meat Industry Humanewashing Scheme 

Farm Forward condemns the meat industry’s latest effort to deceive consumers through the legitimate-appearing “One Health Certified” (OHC) certification.

 
October 2, 2020
By Aaron S. Gross, PhD

Why We Resigned from the Board of the Nation’s Largest Animal Welfare Certification 

In April 2020, after more than a decade of service, Farm Forward resigned, in protest, from the board of the nation’s largest legitimate animal welfare certification, Global Animal Partnership or GAP.

 
August 17, 2017
By Farm Forward

Farm Forward Calls on USDA to Act Now

The report, titled “Animal Welfare in the National Organic Program: The USDA Must Act Quickly to Ensure Consumer Trust,” documents how farmers, retailers, and consumer advocates overwhelmingly support—and expect—stronger welfare standards for animals raised under the organic program.

 
February 1, 2017
By Farm Forward

What Do All of Those Animal Welfare Labels Mean?

This lack of transparency and meaning in labels is one of the main reasons we created BuyingPoultry—to help consumers cut through confusing labels and find healthier, higher-welfare poultry and egg options.

 
July 7, 2016
By Farm Forward

USDA to Propose Long-Awaited Improvements to Certified Organic Label

In response to the Trump Administration’s second delay of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule, Farm Forward joins The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) to entreat the USDA to implement the rules without further delay

 
June 2, 2014
By Aaron S. Gross, PhD

Keeping Kosher Update

Unethical slaughter methods continue to be commonly used in the production of kosher meat sold in the United States and Israel, but resistance to these outdated practices is mounting due to public pressure.

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