Consumers have constantly evolving preferences and expectations when shopping for meat. Recent legislation, such as Proposition 12, demonstrates just how dedicated consumers are to understanding how their meat was raised and ensuring it aligns with their values. 

Food labels are used to detail the nutritional value of the product, ingredients and handling instructions of the products consumers buy and eat. However, food labels can be confusing, and many consumers don’t know what to look for.

The labels on pork products provide insights into how pork was raised, which can indirectly provide explain what sustainable practices were used when the meat was produced. For example, food labels may detail added hormones, antibiotic use or chemical additives. 

Understanding food labels enables consumers to make educated purchase choices based on their preferences. 

Inspecting meat products and assigning labels

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the entity responsible for regulating meat production and meat labels. All meat labels must comply with USDA rules and standards. 

The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) requires that all meat sold commercially be inspected and pass the inspection to ensure that it is safe, wholesome and properly labeled. 

Nutrition is the foundation

Nutritional value depends on pork cut, processing and preparation. Raw cuts of pork, such as tenderloin, chops or roasts are known to be low-cost, highly nutritious meats. Pork is high in protein, making it an ideal meat to include in a healthy and balanced diet. Additionally, pork provides over 10 key nutrients for human health, being an excellent source of several including selenium, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6.

“I always tell consumers to check the nutrition facts panel in addition to the other labels you see on pork products,” said Dr. Crystal Yang, a meat scientist at UC Davis. “The nutrition panel will not only tell you exactly what nutrients the meat offers, but also the correct portion size.”

Ingredient labels

While consumers may assume that ingredients should simply be “pork,” it is common to see an ingredient list on packages. In products like sausage or seasoned pork, ingredients indicate meat, food and seasonings added to the meat. In raw processed meat like pork sausage, ham, etc., additional ingredients indicate preservation chemicals added to ensure safety, preserve flavor and lengthen shelf life.  

No preservatives or artificial ingredients, then, means no ingredients besides pork were added to the product. This is a label commonly seen on a raw cut of meat.

Ingredient labels should always be reviewed for allergies or sensitivities.

Nitrates and Nitrites 

Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are forms of salt used for curing to prolong meat preservation and development of curing color. They are classified as preservatives by the USDA. 

Additionally, nitrates and nitrites are added to meat to inhibit the growth of a food-borne pathogen called Clostridium botulinum. When nitrates and nitrites are cooked at high temperatures, there is a chance to produce a carcinogen, which is why people may look for labels to avoid them.

“Consumers should know nitrates and nitrites are naturally occurring, so this label does not mean the product is totally free of nitrates and nitrites,” Dr. Yang stated. “Processers use an additive called Sodium Erythorbate to reduce the possible formation of carcinogens. Pork with nitrates and nitrites is safe to eat.” 

Date labels

Meat can quickly deteriorate; date labels indicate when a product is at its peak for freshness and flavor. Notably, there are no universally accepted descriptions for dating in the United States.

The following are commonly used date labels, although none are safety dates:

• Best if used by/before indicates when a product will have the best flavor.
• Use-by suggests a timeline for meat to be served at peak quality. 
• Sell-by states how long stores can display a product for sale.
• Freeze-by recommends when meat should be frozen to maintain peak quality.

Proper date labels are essential in preventing food waste to prioritize sustainability while ensuring food safety for consumers. 

Antibiotic-free/no synthetic hormones 

Antibiotics to promote growth in swine are prohibited by the FDA. Therefore, antibiotic-free labels indicate that producers provided sufficient documentation to prove no antibiotics were used when raising animals. Swine are treated with antibiotics if they are sick, similarly to humans. A label advertising “subtherapeutic use of antibiotics” means antibiotics were only used to treat an illness in the swine.

Consumers may decide to seek out pork raised without antibiotics for food safety and environmental sustainability. 

“I think there are two issues with antibiotics. One is that consumers may think that there is antibiotic residue in the meat. This shouldn’t be a concern; there are regulations if producers use antibiotics of when to stop using them and how long they need to keep the animal before they harvest it so the animal can metabolize the antibiotics,” shared Dr. Yang. “The bigger concern now is antimicrobial resistance, which is a global food safety and public health issue. If we use too many unnecessary antibiotics in animal production, then we may increase the chance of creating antibiotic resistant bacteria that are harder to treat in humans if we get sick.” 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes Antibiotic Resistance Threat reports. The 2019 issue reported there were more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections in the United States annually, demonstrating the importance of responsible antibiotic use in agriculture. 

Hormone-free

It is important to note that just like in humans, hormones naturally occur in animals, so no meat is completely free of hormones. Labels advertising hormone use refer to animals that were given hormones during their lifetime. 

Additionally, the FSIS prohibits growth-promoting hormones in pork and poultry production. Therefore, any label with this statement must be followed by, “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.” 

Certified humane

The certified humane standard represents an animal’s treatment and opportunity to spacious housing and outdoor access, socializing with other animals and health and nutrition. 

Organic/USDA organic

Organic indicates that pork was derived from pigs that are raised and produced according to the USDA organic standards.

Organic meat regulations require that animals are raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviors, are fed 100% organic feed and are not given administered antibiotics or hormones. Producers also have to show the land they use is organic certified, meaning the soil and water are free of pesticides. 

Free-range or free-roaming

Less commonly seen on pork labels than other meats (such as beef or poultry), free range and free roaming labels express how much access a pig had to the outdoors. Producers must be able to show that animals have continuous, free access to the outdoors. For a free-range label, 51% of a pig's life must be outside. For a free-roaming label, a significant majority of their lives must be outside. 

Natural

The FDA has stated they consider the term “natural” to mean no artificial or synthetic additives have been included into a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food. It is notable that this policy was not intended to address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides.

“We can say that all the fresh meat cuts are natural products. We don’t process them further. We harvest the meat, cut it into the correct portions, and then sell it,” Dr. Yang said. 

Gluten-free 

All meat is naturally gluten-free. Therefore, a gluten-free label is often unnecessary but ensures consumers that no added ingredients contain gluten. 

Do food labels indicate meat quality?

Food labels tell consumers how their meat is farmed and processed. It is usually not an indicator of meat quality.  

“On the processing side, there is no difference in quality. The benefits as a consumer are relevant to how you prefer your pork was raised and produced,” said Dr. Yang.

Food safety

It is important, regardless of labels, to cook fresh cuts of pork to an internal temperature of 145° F., and cook ground pork to an internal temperature of 160° F. This internal temperature creates a safe eating experience while preserving the quality of the meat for a tender, delicious meat. The safe cooking temperature was lowered by the USDA in 2011 — pork cuts cooked to 145° F. that rest for three minutes rise to a safe temperature while remaining tender and juicy. Pork packaging commonly lists how to safely cook the pork product. Directions should be followed for safe meat. 

As pork continues to become more popular at the table, understanding food labels is key to communicating the high standards pork producers and processers are held to. Consumers can trust they are being brought safe, nutritious and affordable meat.

The CLEAR Center receives support from the Pork Checkoff, through the National Pork Board.