Many consumers choose higher-priced beef products from cattle that have been raised without antibiotics as public concern over antibiotic resistance has increased. Meat labels with claims such as ‘No Antibiotics Ever’, ‘No Added Antibiotics’ and ‘Raised without Antibiotics’ are approved, but how confident can shoppers be that they are, in fact, getting what they paid for?
Not very, according to a new study published in Science that found that a substantial portion of cattle destined for the ‘Raised without Antibiotics’ market have been given antibiotics. The study found that today’s “Antibiotic Free” labels lack integrity.
This is why Cooks Venture works with FoodID to verify our No Antibiotics Ever label.
Cooks Venture is the first poultry company to roll out a verified No Antibiotics Ever label backed by testing. This USDA-approved label provides customers with the assurance that the antibiotic free claims on the chicken they are buying are backed by scientific testing. FoodID has been providing rigorous, regular on-site testing at Cooks Venture since March 2020— ensuring that their no antibiotics labels are verified and transparent.
The label includes a QR code to provide full transparency on drug families examined, the testing statistics to date, and additional Cooks Venture-specific testing data. The FoodID Tested label provides customers with the assurance that the “No Antibiotics Ever” claims on the poultry they are buying are backed by scientific testing. Cook’s Venture’s FoodID report is published monthly and is available on FoodID’s website and in the near future, on the QR code.
Currently, 70% of the antibiotics used in the U.S. are given to animals raised for food. Excessive and improper use of antibiotics in livestock production is accelerating antimicrobial or “superbug” resistance in humans — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Testing is key to identifying and reducing the undesirable impacts of improper antibiotics use, as well as to ensure the integrity of food claims. Until now, these claims have not been backed by testing — only a fraction of 1% of the country’s meat supply is tested each year by the USDA to verify claims. Most labels are simply backed by affidavits and infrequent farm audits.
“In partnering with FoodID, Cooks Venture has independent, scientifically verified data to prove that our claims are what we say they are - we never use antibiotics and our chickens are 100% Non-GMO,” states Matthew Wadiak, Cooks Venture’s CEO and Founder. “We’ve taken the initiative to validate our work so our customers can be confident in our claims and know they are eating nutritious, high-quality meat from a verified source.”
FoodID has developed testing solutions that are comprehensive, rigorous, fast, and affordable. The testing kit identifies 7 drug families representing many common antibiotics and adulterants administered via feed and water.
