← FAT Research Library

📅 Prepared January 12, 2026  |  🔄 Revised May 2, 2026

✍️ Dirk Adams

⌛ 3 min read

FAT RESEARCH SERIES

Animal Welfare Certifiers in the U.S. Meat Supply

Animal welfare is not one variable. The academic literature describes it as a multidimensional concept involving physical health, affective state, and the ability of animals to express species-relevant behavior. Fraser’s framework treats welfare as a balance among biological functioning, natural living, and affective experience, while the Five Domains model organizes welfare assessment around nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state.¹²

Prepared for publication by Farm Animal Transparency | Originally January 12, 2026 · Revised May 2, 2026

At a glance

Executive Summary

U.S. law does not regulate all farm-animal welfare in one comprehensive system. The Animal Welfare Act is a federal animal-care statute, but USDA APHIS materials state that farm animals used for food or fiber are excluded from the AWA definition of covered “animal.”³⁴ At slaughter, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act applies to livestock handled at covered establishments, and FSIS administers humane-handling responsibilities for those establishments.⁵⁶

Certification and verification

Certification programs should be evaluated as evidence systems. FAT should document the species covered, audit frequency, standards language, noncompliance process, chain-of-custody controls, and whether the standard applies to transport and slaughter as well as on-farm handling. A certifier’s name should not be treated as proof of welfare unless the certifier publishes or supplies the relevant standard and audit scope.

Suggested evidence checklist

• Published welfare standard or legal authority.
• Audit scope and frequency.
• Animal-based outcome metrics, not only facility descriptions.
• Correct species-specific legal framework.
• Chain-of-custody evidence tying a product claim to a farm, flock, herd, or lot.

The FAT perspective

A label, brand, or certification should not be described as proving good welfare in general terms. A precise claim should state what is covered: species, farm stage, transport, slaughter, audit frequency, and public transparency. For poultry, FAT identifies FSIS Good Commercial Practices verification separately from livestock coverage under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.⁷ When an on-package welfare statement is used, FAT evaluates whether it is supported as an animal-raising claim under FSIS guidance.⁸

Endnotes

1. Fraser, David. “Understanding Animal Welfare.” Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 50, Suppl. 1 (2008): S1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2014797/ ↩
2. Mellor, David J., and Ngaio J. Beausoleil. “The Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare.” Animals 10, no. 10 (2020): 1870. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870 ↩
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library. “Animal Welfare Act.” Accessed May 2, 2026. https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare-act ↩
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations. USDA, 2025. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/animal-welfare-act-and-regulations.pdf ↩
5. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library. “Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.” Accessed May 2, 2026. https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/humane-methods-slaughter-act ↩
6. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. “Humane Handling.” Accessed May 2, 2026. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/inspection-programs/inspection-meat-products/humane-handling ↩
7. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS Directive 6110.1: Verification of Poultry Good Commercial Practices. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/6110.1 ↩
8. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. “FSIS Guideline on Substantiating Animal-Raising or Environment-Related Labeling Claims.” 2024. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/guidelines/2024-0006 ↩

Additional References

1. Fraser, David. “Understanding Animal Welfare.” Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 50, Suppl. 1 (2008): S1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations. USDA, 2025. www.aphis.usda.gov.
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. “Humane Handling.” Accessed May 2, 2026. www.fsis.usda.gov.