What Stream B asks
Does the listing disclose antibiotic use policy — never, only-when-sick, routine, growth-promotion (now banned for medically important antibiotics) — and is the policy backed by a verifiable program?
What you’ll usually find in a directory listing
Most local producers say “no antibiotics” or “antibiotic-free” in their marketing language. Few disclose what happens when an animal does need treatment, or which antibiotic class would be used, or whether a treated animal is removed from the program. The producer’s published policy is rarely as nuanced as the actual operational reality — animals do get sick, and a responsible producer treats them.
The asymmetry between Stream A and Stream B matters most for this category. A retail-label “no antibiotics ever” claim has been USDA-reviewed; a directory-listing “no antibiotics” claim has not. Stream B records that asymmetry transparently on every Antibiotic score.
Three-step spine for Antibiotics on a directory listing
Required basics — what the directory itself surfaces. Most directories have a free-text field where the producer states their policy. The directory operator typically does not check the claim against any audit.
Verified programs — what a third-party seal proves. Several Tier-A programs verify antibiotic policy:
- USDA Organic — antibiotics prohibited; treated animals must be removed from the organic program.
- Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) — antibiotics permitted only for sick animals; routine use prohibited; full record-keeping required.
- Certified Humane — similar to AWA on antibiotic policy.
- Global Animal Partnership step 4+ — antibiotic restrictions per step level.
- USDA Process Verified Programs (PVP) — for “raised without antibiotics” or “no antibiotics ever” label claims, USDA-reviewed.
A producer enrolled in any of these who is verifiable in the certifier’s roster scores Antibiotics as Known · third-party-certified.
Unverified marketing — what the producer says about themselves. “Raised without antibiotics” or “antibiotic-free” on a directory profile, without an enrolled program, sits at Partial. The Veterinary Feed Directive (effective 2017) banned the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion across the U.S. supply chain — so “no growth-promotion antibiotics” is the legal baseline, not a meaningful claim. Stream B flags listings that promote the legal baseline as if it were a differentiator.
Stream A vs. Stream B for this category
A retail label’s “no antibiotics ever” or “raised without antibiotics” claim is required to be USDA-reviewed. The label’s claim has therefore been pre-screened for plausibility. A directory listing’s “no antibiotics” claim has not been screened.
The two streams produce the same scoring outcome here — both are Partial unless a Tier-A seal is verifiable — but the verification ceiling differs. Stream A’s Partial sits at producer-attested-with-USDA-review. Stream B’s Partial sits at producer-attested-with-no-review.
Read the corresponding Stream A LEARN page on Antibiotics →
Verification ceiling callout
Stream B can score Antibiotics up to: Third-party-certified, when USDA Organic, AWA, Certified Humane, GAP step 4+, or USDA PVP is verified in the certifier’s public roster. Otherwise: Producer-attested.
See the Stream B methodology for the full rubric and the four verification-ceiling tiers.
Sources
- 21 CFR Part 558 — FDA Veterinary Feed Directive, governing medically important antibiotic use in food animals.
- 9 CFR Part 412 — FSIS rules on “raised without antibiotics” and “no antibiotics ever” label claims.
- 7 CFR Part 205 — USDA National Organic Program; prohibits antibiotic use except in defined emergency circumstances, with treated animals removed from the program.
- A Greener World — Animal Welfare Approved standard on antibiotic use.
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — Process Verified Program directory, used to verify USDA-reviewed antibiotic claims.
Last reviewed: May 2026