O’BRIEN, Fla., Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A trade group representing pastured poultry farmers is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clarify how the term “pasture raised” can be used on egg cartons, saying current rules allow consumers to be misled.
The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association ( APPPA ) is requesting the FDA to align egg labeling requirements for the “pasture-raised” claim with the existing definition used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for poultry.
Pasture-Raised Poultry Clearly Defined by the USDA
Following a 2023 petition defining pasture-raised, with over 16,000 comments supporting distinction from ‘free-range’, the USDA maintains a clear, enforceable standard for ‘pasture-raised’ meat products. However, because shell eggs are under FDA jurisdiction, those guidelines have not been applied to eggs. This regulatory gap allows “pasture-raised” to also be used for “free-range” systems, which only require outdoor access and no vegetation, creating consumer confusion and unfair competition for farmers raising birds on real pasture.
“Most shoppers believe ‘pasture-raised’ means hens spend their days outdoors on real pasture,” said Christian Alexandre, of Alexandre Family Farms and APPPA President. “Right now, most supermarket eggs don’t match that expectation.”
Rather than seeking the creation of new regulations, APPPA requests the application of existing, well-understood USDA FSIS definitions to egg labels. Aligning standards across agencies improves transparency, ensures accurate use of “pasture-raised”, and builds consumer confidence across multiple product categories.
APPPA encourages consumers, farmers, and stakeholders to comment publicly in support of consistency in labeling standards.
Greenwashing of “Pastured-Raised” Erodes Consumer Trust
Pasture-based farmers invest significant time and resources in pasture management, animal welfare, and land stewardship. Without consistent standards, farmers struggle to distinguish their products from those of large-scale operations that rely on marketing rather than transparent production practices.
“When eggs produced in industrial barns with outdoor access are marketed using the same language and imagery as pasture-raised, it undermines consumer trust and disadvantages farmers who are raising birds on pasture. Clear, consistent labeling benefits everyone, helping consumers make informed choices and ensuring that farmers who are doing the right thing are not undercut by misleading claims,” said Ginger Shields, APPPA Director.
The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association advocates for the viability of ethical pastured poultry production that connects farmers, processors, and consumers in mutually beneficial communities.
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SOURCE American Pastured Poultry Producers Association
