When purchasing food, many consumers look for information on where the food came from and how it was produced. No antibiotics, cage-free, and grass-fed are a few marketing claims consumers find on protein-based food packaging. To provide assurance to customers of the validity of these and other claims, producers often enlist the services of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
Through its USDA Process Verified Program (PVP), AMS provides a voluntary service where a company sets its own standard, then applies to the PVP to have its standard checked by USDA for compliance by highly-skilled auditors. Standards verified by AMS vary by industry and product and may include standards requested by a customer or consumer.
To get an approved PVP, a company must have a documented system in place that describes its standard and how it intends to implement it. The company submits a Quality Manual that supports and describes its standards, procedures, records, policies, and objectives. AMS auditors then conduct a desk audit followed by an on-site audit to ensure all requirements are accounted for and documented in the company’s Quality Manual. Once approved, the company may use the “USDA Process Verified” shield. Approval lasts for one year, but a surveillance audit is conducted within six months and on-site audits are conducted annually.
As an example, if a company wants to verify it is raising poultry without antibiotics, AMS auditors follow the flock from the time of hatching to the marketplace.
- Hatching: Auditors visit hatcheries to ensure poultry are not administered antibiotics.
- Feed: Auditors visit feed mills to ensure feed does not include antibiotics, review ration and testing records, and ensure they adhere to requirements.
- Farm: Auditors visit the farm where poultry are raised to determine if there are any antibiotics on-hand or in use. Sick poultry must be treated, and removed from the program.
- Processing: Auditors visit the processing plant to ensure segregation of PVP products and accurate labeling.
All label claims for meat, poultry, or egg products must be approved by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to ensure they are truthful and not misleading. FSIS accepts third-party certification, like the PVP, to support the review of marketing claims.
AMS posts companies with PVPs, their standards, marketing claims, and labeling information on our website to ensure transparency. From farm to market, USDA labels – like the USDA Process Verified shield – represent the quality and integrity that consumers trust.
