Science - USA (2022-04-08)

INSIGHTS

science.org SCIENCE

PHOTO: ERIC GREGORY/THE JOURNAL-STAR/AP PHOTO

AGRICULTURE

Policy reforms for antibiotic

use claims in livestock

Antibiotics detected in “raised without antibiotics” cattle

underscore the need to ensure the integrity of labeling claims

POLICY FORUM

INSIGHTS

P

ublic concern regarding antibiotic

use in food-animal production has

driven a rapidly growing market for

meat products from animals that

have been raised without antibiotics

(RWA) ( 1 ). RWA is a credence attri-

bute that cannot be easily verified by con-

sumers ( 2 ). Instead, they must rely on pro-

ducers, retailers, third-party certifiers, or

government regulators to ensure that these

claims are valid. Meat labels in the United

By Lance B. Price^1 , Laura Rogers^1 , Kevin Lo^2 States, one of the leading beef-producing

130 8 APRIL 2022 • VOL 376 ISSUE 6589

0408PolicyForum_15347478.indd 130 4/1/22 4:34 PM