Consumers’ guide to meat raised without routine antibiotics Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing threat to public health. The World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and experts across the globe warn that unless we take serious action to stop the rise of resistant superbugs, we stand to lose our ability to treat common infections, perform routine surgeries, and live without fear of once-deadly bacteria. In American agriculture, it remains commonplace for livestock and poultry to receive routine, low doses of antibiotics to promote growth, compensate for unsanitary conditions, and treat illness. Only one of those practices is an appropriate use of our life- saving medicines. And while limiting antibiotics use has received pushback from the industry, consumers are becoming increasingly powerful in pushing producers to adopt better policies. Your consumer power matters. By supporting the brands that raise their meat without routine antibiotics, you’ll be helping push the industry towards abandoning the practice once and for all. But to be a conscious consumer, you have to know what to look for. Luckily, we can help. Content: 1. At the Grocery Store a. Labels b. Brands c. Stores d. Cost 2. Fast-casual restaurants 3. Credits The following guide was compiled using data from Consumer Reports, the Environmental Working Group, and PEW Charitable Trusts. _________________________________________________________________________ At the Grocery Store Labels - From Consumer Reports Greener Choicesi and Meat on Drugsii Look for: Organici The USDA’s organic rules prohibit antibiotic use on livestock and must be verified on-site by an independent accredited certifier. So, you can feel confident that any meat or poultry labeled “USDA Organic” comes from animals that never have been given any antibiotics. Organic + Grassfedii "Grassfed” labels, usually found on beef, can be useful if they are coupled with the “organic” label. Animals raised organically must have been raised without antibiotics. If “grassfed” appears alone, however, antibiotics might have been given. No Antibiotics Administered, Raised Without Antibiotics, and variationsi Many variations, such as "No antibiotics added" or "Never ever given antibiotics." This labeling is helpful but most reliable when accompanied by a "USDA Process Verified" shield. However, backing by a private certifier, such as Global Animal Partnership for Whole Foods' meat, is equally reliable. Do not to rely on: Naturali “Natural” may sound as good, but it doesn’t indicate anything about antibiotics. Unless the label explicitly says otherwise, antibiotics might have been used in raising “natural” meat and poultry. According to the USDA, “natural” means only that the final product doesn’t contain artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed. So, while "natural" is approved by the USDA, it is not a meaningful statement about antibiotics use. Antibiotic-Freei The USDA specifically says it never authorizes the use of “antibiotic-free,” so this claim has no clear or consistent meaning in the marketplace and should not appear on packaging. Via: greenerchoices.org No Antibiotic Residuesi This is not a USDA-approved claim and only indicates that antibiotics residue levels in the final product fall below Food and Drug Administration tolerance thresholds. This label does not mean no drugs were used in the animal’s life. No Antibiotics for Growth Promotioni This claim is not approved by the USDA. Even though an animal may not have been given antibiotics for growth promotion, it still could have received them on a daily basis to prevent disease, which is the main use for the drugs in crowded growing facilities. Grassfed, Free-range, Cage-free, Pasture-raised etc.i Alone, labels regarding how an animal was confined does not indicate much about whether or not an animal received unnecessary antibiotics. Brands/Producers -- From PEW Charitable Trusts These producers offer the meat listed raised without routine antibiotics. Applegate – Beef, pork, poultry Bell & Evans – Poultry Coleman (Perdue) – Poultry Estancia Beef – Beef Evol Foods – Beef, pork, poultry FreeBird – Poultry Harvestland (Perdue) – Poultry Luvo - Beef, chicken, turkey MamaMancini’s - Beef and turkey meatballs Meyer Natural Angus – Beef Miller Poultry – Poultry Murray’s - Poultry Niman Ranch - Beef, lamb, pork Plainville Farms – Turkey Ranch Foods Direct - Beef Redbird Chicken – Poultry Saffron Road – Chicken, lamb Springer Mountain Farms - Chicken Thousand Hills Cattle Co. – Beef Tyson - Turkey White Oak Pastures - Beef, chicken, lamb Where to Shop -- From PEW Charitable Trustsiii and Keep Antibiotics Working Coalitionvi These grocery chains’ store brands offer meat raised without routine antibiotics. Ahold USA (Giant, Martin’s, Peapod, Stop & Shop) - Nature’s Promise Costco - Kirkland Delhaize (Bloom, Bottom Dollar, Food Lion, Hannaford, Harveys, Sweetbay) – Nature’s Place Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P, Food Basics, Food Emporium, Pathmark, SuperFresh, Waldbaum’s) – Green Way and Mid-Atlantic Country Farms H-e-B (Central Market, H-e-B, H-e-B Plus) - H-e-B Natural Kroger (Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, JayC, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, pay Less, QFC, Ralphs, Scott’s, Smith’s - Simple Truth Safeway (Carrs, Dominick’s, genuardi’s, pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Tom Thumb, Vons) - Open Nature and O Organics Supervalu (acme, albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Save-a-Lot, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop ‘n Save, Shoppers) - Wild Harvest Natural Publix - GreenWise Trader Joe’s - Trader Joe’s All-Natural and Trader Joe’s Organic Wegmans – all meat and poultry Whole Foods Market – Food You Feel Good About Cost -- From Consumer Reports Meat on Drugsii Meat and poultry raised without antibiotics does not have to be expensive. While prices vary among stores, types and cuts of meat, in some cases meat raised without antibiotics can cost less than the national average. Virtually all of the “no antibiotics” chicken, turkey, and pork products found by Consumer Report shoppers in their 2012 study were priced under $10 per pound. Some meat raised without antibiotics could be found at virtually every chain where such meat is available at under $5 per pound.v Fast-casual Restaurants B7: Beef B. Good: Chicken, Hamburgers BGR: Hamburgers Boloco: Beef, Chicken (dark meat only) BurgerFi: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs Cosi: Chicken Chick-fil-A: Chicken (within 5 years) Chipotle: Chicken, Beef, Pork Chop't: Chicken, Beef Carl's Jr.: The All-Natural Burger Elevation Burger: Hamburgers, Chicken EpicBurger: Beef Farmer Boys: All-Natural line of Hamburgers Flying Star Cafe: Chicken GoodTimes: Beef, Chicken Hannah's Bretzel: All meats Illegal Pete's: All meats Jason's Deli: All meats McDonald's: Chicken (within 2 years) Noodles & Co.: All meats (by 2017) Panera: Chicken, Roasted Turkey Sausage, Ham (in salads and sandwiches) Pret-a-Manger: Chicken, Beef, Pork Protein Bar: Chicken Red Robin: Hamburgers Roti: Chicken Shake Foundation: Hamburgers Shake Shack: Beef Shophouse: All meats Soppraffina Marketcaffe: All meats Subway: Chicken (2016), Turkey (2017), All meats (within 10 years) Sweet Green: All proteins Tasty Burger: Beef The Counter: Hamburgers The Grove Cafe: All meat UBurger: Hamburgers Yasmine's Cafe: All meat Credits [i] Consumer Reports – Greener Choices, available online:http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/06/antibiotics-are-widely-used-by-u-s-meat- industry/index.htm [ii] Consumer Reports (2012) Meat on Drugs available online:https://www.consumerreports.org/content/dam/cro/news_articles/health/CR%20Meat%20On %20Drugs%20Report%2006-12.pdf [iii] PEW Charitable Trusts, Top Companies Moving Away from Overuse of Antibiotics on Factory Farms. Available online: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact- sheets/2014/04/09/top-food-companies-moving-away-from-overuse-of-antibiotics-on-industrial-farms [iv] Environmental Working Group, Decoding Meat and Dairy Product Labels. Available online:http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/decoding-meat-dairy-product-labels/ [v] Consumer Reports (2012) Meat on Drugs pg.16 [see above] [vi] Food Animal Concerns Trust (2016) The Use of Antibiotics and Other Drugs in the U.S. Turkey Industry. Available online: http://foodanimalconcerns.org/wp- content/uploads/2014/11/turkey_report_final.pdf .