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Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Let's zoom in! Under FSIS guidance updated in August 2024, "grass fed," "grass-fed" and "100% grass-fed" all mean cattle that ate only forage, such as grass, legumes, hay and silage, after weaning. They weren't fed grain, were never confined to a feedlot, and had continuous access to pasture during the growing season.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Not quite. Our label guide notes that "grass finished" is not the same as grass-fed, and grass-finished cattle may have been fed grain. If animals also ate grain, a partial claim has to say so, for example "made from cattle fed grass and corn."

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Let's zoom in! On meat and poultry, "natural" means no artificial ingredients or added color, and only minimal processing. The label must explain what it means. It describes processing, not how the animal was raised.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

The USDA organic seal can only be used on products certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. A product labeled "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, not counting salt and water.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Let's zoom in! USDA beef grades are set by the Agricultural Marketing Service and describe expected eating quality, like tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Prime has the most marbling, Choice has less, and Select is leaner. Grades are not a measure of safety or healthfulness.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

No. Grading is a voluntary service companies request and pay for. It's separate from mandatory safety inspection, which is shown by the round USDA mark of inspection on federally inspected packaged meat. State-inspected meat carries a state mark instead, and some exempt products carry no mark.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

USDA does not certify that a product is kosher or halal. Religious oversight and certification come from religious authorities and certifying organizations. FSIS makes sure the claim is truthful: a "certified kosher" or "certified halal" label must name the certifier or its website.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Federal rules don't allow hormones in raising hogs or poultry, so a "no hormones added" claim on pork or chicken must be followed by the statement "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Let's zoom in! Since January 1, 2026, "Product of USA" or "Made in the USA" on USDA-inspected meat and poultry means the animal was born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. The claim is voluntary.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

No, the claim is voluntary. A separate law, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), run by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, requires many retailers to tell customers where certain foods come from.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Packaged meat and poultry from a USDA-inspected plant carries the USDA mark of inspection and an establishment number, shown as "EST." for meat and "P-" for poultry. That number identifies the plant where the product was produced. State-inspected products carry a state mark instead, and some exempt products, such as custom-processed meat, carry no mark.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Let's zoom in! Federal regulations define "meat" as the skeletal muscle of cattle, sheep, swine or goats, plus muscle in the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus, along with the fat, bone, skin and other tissue that normally comes with it.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Cell-cultivated foods are made by taking a small number of cells from an animal and growing them in a controlled environment, usually large sealed vessels, until there are billions or trillions of cells. They are grown from real animal cells. Real Meat Directory uses "real meat" as its own shorthand for meat from raised or harvested animals, so these products fall outside the directory by that definition. That isn't a claim that they're "fake."

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Since a 2019 agreement, the FDA and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service share oversight. The FDA reviews each product before market and oversees cell growth; oversight moves to FSIS at harvest, which handles processing and labeling.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

In most cases, a cell-cultivated or plant-based product says so on the package, often in the product name. Our guides point to the full product name, the ingredient list and the inspection mark, or asking the seller.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

Plant-based products that resemble meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or dairy are generally regulated by the FDA. Its January 2025 draft guidance recommends names that identify the main plant source, such as "soy-based." The FDA notes the guidance is a non-binding draft.

Marbles Label Reader · AI helper

We found no cultivated-meat pet food approved or on sale in the U.S. as of October 2026. Cultivated-meat pet treats have been sold in the UK and Singapore. U.S. pet food is regulated by the FDA and the states, not USDA.