Investigation uncovers shocking evidence that major beef brands are deceiving their customers: 'Knowingly defrauding the public'

An investigation by agribusiness watchdog Farm Forward uncovered evidence that three of the four largest players in the beef industry are "deceiving consumers" by improperly labeling products as "antibiotic free" or "raised without antibiotics."

What's happening?

According to Farm Forward's report, lax enforcement policies on the part of the Department of Agriculture prompted the group to file Freedom of Information Act requests seeking information on the results of inspections.

The group explained that the investigation was spurred by the "USDA's refusal to regulate and provide punitive action against bad actors or even disclose which companies' products tested positive for antibiotics" after a 2023 sampling project revealed that 20% of meat labeled RWA "contained antibiotics."

Farm Forward asserted that American consumers were "being scammed by Big Beef" and that the USDA "is knowingly letting them get away with it."

Andrew deCoriolis, executive director of the organization, said the findings "underscore a pattern" at the USDA of "prioritizing industry's bottom line at [consumers'] expense," adding that beef companies and the regulatory agency both bear responsibility for pervasive mislabeling.

"Beef brands that many know and trust have been knowingly defrauding the public with claims that their products are free of antibiotics, and while they are certainly at fault, the USDA — the government agency responsible for regulating America's agriculture — is at fault for not enforcing the standards they've set," deCoriolis explained.

Why is mislabeled beef concerning?

As both deCoriolis and the report emphasized, misleading "antibiotic free" labels prevent consumers from making genuinely informed decisions — and beef with an RWA label is typically costlier than conventionally raised beef.

Mislabeling food is an insidious form of "greenwashing," which preys upon consumers' willingness to pay a premium for an ostensibly safer product.

But associated harms are not limited to deceptively priced groceries. Widespread use of antibiotics by factory farms is linked to an uptick in antibiotic-resistant infections in humans. Per Vox, antibiotic-resistant bacteria "directly killed over 1.2 million people," including 35,000 Americans, in 2019 alone.

Moreover, the proliferation of antibiotics in meat is one of several factors linked to a newly observed rise in colon cancer rates among young people worldwide.

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What can I do to avoid antibiotics in meat?

One of the biggest takeaways from the investigation is that a lack of USDA enforcement makes it harder for consumers to make healthier choices — but it's not impossible.

You can eat cleaner and cheaper with a range of solutions, and you can leverage your purchasing power to reflect your values beyond supermarket shelves. 

Famed California rancher Bill Niman told Farm Forward that "deceptive marketing … creates an uneven playing field that severely disadvantages truly humane and sustainable farmers and ranchers."

Niman lamented that "genuine small-scale producers who actually raise animals without antibiotics must compete against these false narratives." 

However, he noted ethical brands "invest significantly more in proper animal care, space, and preventive health measures to legitimately avoid antibiotics," presenting consumers with alternatives to "industrial producers."

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