Collection: Humanely Raised

Humanely Raised Meat, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken label claim suggests that animals used to produce the meat, poultry, dairy, or eggs were treated humanely from birth to slaughter, on farms that provide decent living conditions that meet the animals’ needs (e.g., cows are allowed to graze and not confined to a feedlot).

However, the government agencies that oversee labeling of meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs do not set a common standard for the “humanely raised” claim, and they do not require an on-farm inspection to verify the claim.

Each company can determine its own definition of what it means to be “humanely raised,” and definitions vary.

The bottom line: should you look for this labeling claim?

Look for the seal of one of the certification programs with strong standards, listed below. Humane treatment and living conditions that meet the animals’ needs are important, but you cannot trust a “humanely raised” claim on a label because there is no common standard, and the claim is not required to be verified.

Good standards:

Animal Welfare Approved

Certified Humane Raised and Handled

Global Animal Partnership Step 3 - 5

Not good standards:

American Humane Certified

Organic

Natural

Global Animal Partnership Step 1 - 2