ABSTRACT
Many consumers want information on the practices used in producing the animals providing their meat products. To secure this information, they seek labels on food products. Labels concerning the nonuse of hormones, antibiotics, beta agonists, cages, and other practices are frequently used in marketing strategies to attract consumers. Governmental regulations also control labels to help marketers provide truthful information about the attributes of their products. State governments may be involved in the labeling of most food products, but federal law prevents states from adopting consumer legislation on meat and poultry products. For some products, private certification firms are used to provide additional assurance that products meet their labeling claims.
