Antibiotic-Free

Antibiotic-free is also known as “raised without antibiotics” or “no antibiotics administered.” Meat and poultry products bearing this label notify the buyer that the animals were not administered sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics. Antibiotics may have been administered in the case of illness, however, no antibiotics can be present in the animal’s system at the time of slaughter or laying. Since this label is applied by the producer and not verified by a third-party, it can be an unreliable indication of antibiotic presence in animal products.