Jake Harper
Consumers often receive mixed messages about the food industry terms used to label chicken products. In the United States, chickens are typically labelled as organic, free-range, no antibiotics ever, raised without antibiotics, no hormones added, and cage-free. While these labels can be confusing, they indicate different methods of chicken farming and production. Some companies choose to market their chicken products as hormone-free or antibiotic-free, even though the use of added hormones and antibiotics is already prohibited by law. This raises questions about the true meaning of these labels and whether they affect the taste, quality, or price of chicken products.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Use of hormones in chicken production | Banned in the US since the 1950s |
| Antibiotics in chicken production | FDA-approved, but not a silver bullet; companies are increasingly offering chicken raised without antibiotics |
| "Free-range" chicken | Must have access to outdoors for at least part of the day; less than 1% of chickens nationwide are raised as free-range |
| "Organic" chicken | Must also be free-range; requires annual inspections; no specific standards for the size of the outdoor area or amount of time spent outdoors |
| "No antibiotics" labels | May still use antibiotics for disease prevention; birds treated with antibiotics are sent for processing with conventionally raised chickens |
| "Natural" chicken | Dubbed the "most misleading label" by CR |
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What You'll Learn
- The use of hormones in chicken production is forbidden by law in the USA
- Antibiotics are used to treat sick chickens, but they must be withdrawn before sale
- The term free-range is approved by the USDA on a case-by-case basis, with no precise definition
- Organic chicken must be free-range, but less than 1% of chickens are raised this way
- No Antibiotics Ever labels are common, but sick flocks may be treated with antibiotics
The use of hormones in chicken production is forbidden by law in the USA
Chicken producers are committed to innovation and producing a wide range of chicken products for a wide range of consumers. The administration of antibiotics is only one FDA-approved tool to keep chickens healthy. Companies use a variety of management tools to keep birds healthy, including more individualized nutrition plans, the use of probiotics and vaccines, barns with better air circulation and temperature controls, and additional training programs and educational efforts for farmers and service technicians.
Chickens sometimes get sick, and treating illness is a responsible part of animal care. A “No Antibiotics Ever" or "Raised Without Antibiotics" label is typically only one of a company's product lines. Some flocks on a no-antibiotics program may get sick and have to be treated with antibiotics. These flocks are no longer eligible to be marketed as "No Antibiotics Ever" or "Raised Without Antibiotics." Even if a chicken is given antibiotics, federal rules state that if any antibiotics are required, they must be cleared from the bird's system before leaving the farm.
The presence of antibiotics in animals raised for food is a major contributor to antibiotic resistance, which is a global health threat. The FDA and USDA have extensive monitoring and testing programs to ensure that food at the grocery store does not contain harmful antibiotic residues. Representatives from every flock are tested for antibiotic residue.
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Antibiotics are used to treat sick chickens, but they must be withdrawn before sale
Antibiotics are indeed used to treat sick chickens in the USA. However, federal rules dictate that any antibiotics administered to the birds must be withdrawn before they are sold. This is to ensure that the chickens are antibiotic-free by the time consumers purchase them.
The use of antibiotics in chicken farming is a complex issue. While antibiotics can be crucial in treating sick birds, their overuse can contribute to antibiotic resistance, a significant global health threat. As a result, companies employ various strategies to maintain the health of their flocks without relying solely on antibiotics. These include improved barn conditions, such as better air circulation and temperature controls, as well as more individualized nutrition plans, the use of probiotics and vaccines, and additional training programs for farmers and technicians.
Some companies market their chicken products as "No Antibiotics Ever" or "Raised Without Antibiotics." These labels typically apply to specific product lines within a company. If chickens in these flocks get sick and require antibiotic treatment, they are no longer eligible for the "no antibiotics" label and are instead processed with conventionally raised birds.
To ensure the safety of food products, the FDA and USDA have implemented extensive monitoring and testing programs. These programs verify that the food available in grocery stores does not contain harmful antibiotic residues. Representatives from every flock are tested for antibiotic residue, and the presence of any antibiotics must be clearly stated on the label, along with the percentage.
It is important to note that the use of hormones in chicken production is not allowed in the USA. Any package of chicken labeled "Raised Without Hormones" or similar must also include a statement confirming that no hormones are used in poultry production.
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The term free-range is approved by the USDA on a case-by-case basis, with no precise definition
The use of hormones in chicken production is prohibited in the United States. Therefore, the “no hormones” label on chicken products is redundant, as it is equivalent to simply stating "chicken".
Chicken products in the USA may be labelled as "Raised without antibiotics" or "No antibiotics ever". However, this does not necessarily mean that the chickens were never given antibiotics. The administration of antibiotics is an FDA-approved method to keep chickens healthy, and some flocks may need to be treated with antibiotics if they get sick. Chickens that have been treated with antibiotics are labelled separately and are no longer marketed as "raised without antibiotics".
The term "free-range" is used to describe chickens that have access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day. However, there is no precise federal government definition of the term, and the USDA approves the use of this label on a case-by-case basis. While the USDA generally requires chickens to have access to the outside, this can be interpreted in various ways, and some producers may only follow the letter of the law, providing small doors leading to paved patches of ground.
The ASPCA and other sources have pointed out that the term "free-range" does not provide meaningful standards for on-farm welfare, indoor space per bird, environmental enrichment, selective breeding, or the use of natural light. There are no standards for the size of the outdoor area, the size of the door leading outside, or the amount of time the birds spend outdoors. The term "free-range" is also not indicative of the quality of life for chickens, and their living conditions may be nearly identical to those of chickens in industrial factory farms.
In summary, while the use of hormones in chicken production is prohibited in the USA, the term "free-range" lacks a precise definition, and consumers should be cautious when interpreting labels and marketing claims.
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Organic chicken must be free-range, but less than 1% of chickens are raised this way
In the United States, there is no federal government definition of "free-range", so the USDA approves these labels on a case-by-case basis. Generally, the USDA permits the use of the term if chickens have access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day, regardless of whether they choose to go outside. In practice, most chickens stay close to water and feed, which are usually located within the chicken house.
Chicken labelled as "organic" must also be "free-range", but not all "free-range" chicken is "organic". Organic chickens must have continuous and easy daytime access to an outdoor range covered with suitable vegetation. Less than 1% of chickens nationwide are raised as "free-range", according to the National Chicken Council.
Organic chickens are raised through the most humane, clean, and safe processes possible. They are given access to the outdoors at 12 weeks, a much younger age than free-range systems. This encourages a more free-range life for the hens. The range itself must be rested for at least 9 months between flocks to allow vegetation to grow back and prevent the build-up of disease in the soil. In contrast, the range in free-range farms only needs to be rested for 2 months.
The use of hormones is not allowed in the production of chickens for the market. Chickens can be provided with antibiotics during their first day of life, and the drug-free rule kicks in the day after the shell breaks open. Organic chickens can only be treated with antibiotics if they get ill. Due to lower stocking densities and higher animal welfare, organic chickens need antibiotics far less frequently than non-organic and free-range livestock.
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No Antibiotics Ever labels are common, but sick flocks may be treated with antibiotics
Chickens, like humans, sometimes get sick, and treating their illnesses is a responsible part of animal care. Farmers work with animal health experts and veterinarians to determine if an antibiotic is needed. Antibiotics are only one FDA-approved tool to keep chickens healthy. Other management tools used by companies include more individualized nutrition plans, the use of probiotics and vaccines, barns with better air circulation and temperature controls, and additional training programs and education efforts for farmers and service technicians.
A “No Antibiotics Ever” or “Raised without Antibiotics” label is typically only one of a company’s product lines. Some flocks on a no-antibiotic program may get sick, just like other flocks, and some have to be treated with antibiotics. These flocks that have been treated with antibiotics are no longer eligible to be marketed as “No Antibiotics Ever” or “Raised without Antibiotics”. A no-antibiotics program is not a magical program for producing disease-free birds. Rather, it’s a program that intends to raise birds without antibiotics and labels those which are successfully raised without antibiotics as such.
The use of added or artificial hormones in chicken production is forbidden by law and must be noted on the label. Therefore, if you see a "no hormones" label on a chicken package, it just means "chicken". Chicken labeled as “organic” must also be “free-range,” but not all “free-range” chicken is also “organic.” Less than 1% of chickens nationwide are raised as “free range”.
Inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals raised for food is a major contributor to antibiotic resistance, which is a global health threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends an overall reduction in the use of all classes of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals, including a complete restriction of these antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention without diagnosis. Healthy animals should only receive antibiotics to prevent disease if it has been diagnosed in other animals in the same flock, herd, or fish population.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, chickens in the USA are hormone-free. The use of added or artificial hormones in chickens has been forbidden by law since the 1950s.
Chickens in the USA are not necessarily antibiotic-free. However, companies that label their chicken as "No Antibiotics Ever" or "Raised Without Antibiotics" have not used antibiotics in the raising of that chicken.
Organic chicken must be free-range, meaning the chickens have access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day. Organic chicken is also not treated with antibiotics beyond the first day of life.
