Food labels provide important information about the food we purchase and consume. Besides listing general nutrition facts like calories, carbohydrates or vitamins, they can also let us know how the food was grown or what it contains.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assuring that foods sold in the United States are safe and properly labeled. However, there are sometimes additional information provided on labels that manufacturers provide voluntarily. Let’s dive into a few label terms that you might not be as familiar with.
A designation from the USDA that farmers can apply for by providing documents and allowing future testing. Farmers use antibiotics to treat or prevent illness in animals. According to the American Meat Science Association, farmers and processors provide a certain amount of time for the animal to process the antibiotic before it is reintroduced into the production process. There are also antibiotic limits set in place by the FDA. In 2018, they announced a plan to control the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One way they are doing this is by restricting the use of medically important antibiotics to only necessary instances.
