Cattle graze outside in organically-grown pastures.
A green and white seal on packaged meat is USDA Organic. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, this seal denotes that the meat is organic and comes from animals not given antibiotics or growth hormones. These animals grazed in pastures free of synthetic fertilizer and herbicides, and ate organically-produced feed. To produce organic meat, facilities are certified and inspected annually for compliance to regulations.
Certified Farms
For organic meats to reach your table, the producers of livestock must comply with the standards, rules and regulations established by the National Organic Program (NOP). This includes having a farm certified by the NOP and keeping records on management of the farm, as well as raising and maintaining livestock. This provides a paper trial to trace the meat to the farm. All certified farms are required to follow the handling and labeling procedures described by the NOP.
Organic Livestock
Organic meat comes from organic livestock. Cattle must be in a certified organic farm before birth and live in an organic environment at all times. For organic poultry, chicks must be in the organic facility from second-day of life. Here, animals live in natural conditions and graze outdoors for at least 120 days every year. The pastures are free from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. All grazing pastures are maintained in accordance with organic farming requirements.
Organic Feed
Organic animals eat organic feed. Animals feed on organic agricultural products that are free of fertilizer, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones, animal by-products and additives. Animals live in conditions similar to their natural habitat as they graze outdoors, have fresh air, exposure to sunlight, and access to clean water. Antibiotics, growth hormones, parasiticides and other drugs are not given to the organic livestock. Farmers also ensure that the manure produced does not contaminate the food, water, soil, and living conditions of the animals.
Labeling
All meats produced in organic farms, that follow regulations and are certified by NOP, are organic meat. The meat bears the USDA Organic seal and is certified organic. Mislabeling conventional meat as organic is punishable by law and carries a hefty fine of $11,000 per violation, as of this publication date.
Tags: certified organic, comes from, farm certified, graze outdoors, growth hormones, meat organic, pastures free