FAT Research
Briefings, verification notes, and original research from Farm Animal Transparency. These summaries help consumers, producers, and policymakers understand meat labeling, origin claims, and self-certification practices.
840 Cattle Tags: How USDA IDs Improve Beef Traceability | FAT Research
Understanding USDA 840 Beef Cattle Identification Tags Posted November 2025 • FAT Research Paper by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI USDA 840 tags are the backbone of animal traceability for U.S.-born beef cattle. These official tags are required for interstate transport and are increasingly standard in value-added beef programs and electronic disease control systems. This post explains what 840 tags are, where to get them, how much they cost, and how widely they’re used in modern beef production. What Are 840 Tags? 840 tags are official ear tags issued under the Animal Identification Number (AIN) system. They begin with the 3-digit country code “840” for the United States, and they carry a 15-digit unique ID linked to a USDA-registered premises. These tags must
Animal Welfare Certifiers in the U.S. Meat Supply
Animal Welfare Certifiers in the U.S. Meat Supply A November 20, 2025 FAT Research Paper prepared by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI. Standards, Rating Systems, and Why Certifications Are Not Equivalent I. Why Welfare Certifications Require Careful Interpretation Animal welfare certifications vary widely in purpose, rigor, and effect on animal treatment. A central source of consumer confusion is that many certification programs use rating systems or step numbers that appear ordinal, but do not correspond intuitively to welfare outcomes. In particular, several widely used programs designate “Step 1” or “Level 1” as the entry point, even though higher numbered steps represent progressively stronger welfare requirements. Consumers frequently misinterpret lower numbers as higher ratings. Farm Animal Transparency (FAT) therefore evaluates welfare certifications based on
Animal Welfare in U.S. Meat Production
Animal Welfare in U.S. Meat Production: Practices, Claims, and the Limits of Label-Based Transparency Prepared January 10, 2026 by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI. A Farm Animal Transparency FAT Research Paper © Executive Summary Animal welfare is one of the most frequently cited—and least uniformly defined—concepts in U.S. meat production and labeling. While consumers increasingly rely on welfare-related claims to guide purchasing decisions, the underlying practices, standards, and verification mechanisms vary widely by species, production system, and certification framework. This paper examines animal welfare in U.S. meat production from a scientific and regulatory perspective, explains how welfare-related claims arise, and identifies the limits of label-based transparency. Where relevant, this paper references separate FAT Research examining the disparities among animal welfare certifiers, which provides
Biden Leadership on Beef Marketing
In my experience as a Montana cattleman for the last 40 years, a frequent topic of rancher conversations has been concentration in the beef packer business which has reduced cattlemen’s share of beef value by more than 30%.
Another significant rancher concern has been inaccurate beef labeling about the origin of the beef sold in the meat case.
Because of the legitimate concerns, I’d like to highlight three successful federal efforts that are particularly important for Montana ranchers that arose from Biden Leadership on Beef Marketing
Chilling Chicken: Comparing Water Chilled vs. Air Chilled
Comparison of Water-Chilled vs. Air-Chilled Chicken in U.S. Poultry Production Introduction Chilling chicken is a critical step in processing that rapidly lowers carcass temperature to inhibit bacterial growth and ensure food safety. In the United States, the dominant method is water immersion chilling, whereas air chilling (common in Europe) is used by a smaller number of U.S. processors. This paper compares water-chilled and air-chilled chicken in the U.S. context, examining technical processes, costs, yield and safety outcomes, consumer-facing factors, and regulatory requirements. The goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis of how each method affects poultry production economics, product quality, and consumer perception. Chilling Methods in Poultry Processing Water Immersion Chilling Water immersion chilling involves submerging eviscerated poultry carcasses in cold water or ice-water baths,