As our readership is well aware, the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals has become a hot button issue in the food industry, with at least one leading consumer advocacy group formally calling for food labeling on meat and poultry products that discloses antibiotic use or nonuse.  While such efforts are not likely to move forward in today’s regulatory climate, many consumers have expressed a penchant for “ethically-raised”, clean label foods such as “Cage Free” and “Pasture Raised.”

In the realm of antibiotic claims for food products, on May 3, 2017, NSF International launched a “Raised Without Antibiotics” certification program to certify animal products have been raised without exposure to antibiotics. NSF International developed the “Raised Without Antibiotics”  certification protocol in partnership with the food industry and veterinary stakeholders. Of note, the use of ionophore chemical coccidiostats – which are not considered contributors to antimicrobial resistance – may be permitted to prevent infections, depending on labeling regulations in the region of product sale.  The certification may be sought for a variety of animal products, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, leather and certain supplement ingredients.

This new NSF certification program provides industry with a key marketing tool amid consumer concerns associated with the use of medically important antibiotics to promote growth or feed efficiency in food-producing animals.