RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS/ NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER The term “raised without antibiotics” may be
HUMANELY RAISED An umbrella term used to describe animals raised in an ethical manner. There is no official definition of this term, as many people have different ethical standards. If we were to use this claim, it would be qualified within our definition. “Humanely raised” could refer to animals that are grass-fed, pasture-raised, raised indoors with enrichments, raised without antibiotics or harvested humanely. LEAN FINELY TEXTURED BEEF (LFTB) A meat-based product made from finely textured beef and boneless beef trimmings, LFTB is used as a food additive to ground beef and beef-based processed meats, as a filler or to reduce the overall fat content of ground beef. LOCAL Though “local” has a geographic connotation, there is no consensus on a definition in terms of the distance between production and consumption of food products. According to the definition adopted by the U.S. Congress in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (also know as the 2008 U.S. Farm Bill), the total distance that a product can be transported and still be considered a “locally or regionally produced agricultural food product” is less than 400 miles from its origin, or within the state in which it is produced. MINIMALLY PROCESSED With respect to meat and poultry products, the term “minimally processed” can be used to describe traditional processes used to make food edible and for preservation. These processes could include smoking, roasting, freezing, drying or fermenting. “Minimally processed” can also be used to describe physical processes that do not fundamentally alter a raw product, but separate a whole food into component parts. NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS These products do not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, or chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient; and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed. ORGANIC “Organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed, as prescribed and administered by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). Organically produced foods must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices. Organic regulations allow only certain production and processing techniques. Organic products must be produced without artificial ingredients, chemical preservatives or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.
used on labels for meat or poultry products if the producer provides the USDA with sufficient evidence demonstrating that the animals were raised without the use of antibiotics. This is different than the term “no antibiotics ever,” which only applies to poultry whose eggs were not vaccinated using antibiotics. The term “antibiotic free” is not permitted, as all meat and poultry products must be free of antibiotics, per federal regulation. SODIUM BENZOATE It is a widely used food preservative. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid. SUSTAINABLE There is no single definition of “sustainable.” One definition, according to the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, sustainable agriculture can involve a variety of farming and food production strategies that embrace three broad goals: profit over the long term, stewardship of our nation’s land, air and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers and their communities. UNCURED When a product is labeled “uncured,” it means that the product is an uncured version of an item that is typically cured. Uncured products are made without the addition of chemical nitrates or nitrites. Some ingredients that may be added to products marked “uncured” may naturally contain nitrates and/or nitrites (like celery powder) which may contribute to the traditional cured color formation and other functional properties of cured meats. XANTHAN GUM A substance produced by bacterial fermentation or synthetically that is used in foods as a gelling agent and thickener. It is a polysaccharide composed of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid.
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