Most Reliable

American Grassfed Association

  • Raised primarily on pasture with daily access to fresh air.
  • No feedlots allowed.
  • Requires pasture management to maximize soil fertility and biological diversity.
  • Fed only grass and forage.
  • No grain feeding ever.
  • GMO feed prohibited.
  • No antibiotics allowed (sick animals must be treated and are no longer eligible for the certification).
  • No standards to minimize painful physical alterations such as tail docking or castration.
  • No audits to ensure humane slaughter.
BEEF
BISON
LAMB
GOAT
SHEEP
MILK

To learn more, visit the American Grassfed Association.

Animal Welfare Approved

  • Raised with continuous access to outdoor pasture.
  • No feedlots allowed.
  • GMO feed is not recommended, but allowed.
  • No antibiotics given to healthy animals (sick animals must be treated and can be certified).
  • Prohibits painful physical alterations (tail docking, beak trimming, etc.).
  • Slaughter facilities are audited.
BEEF
BISON
LAMB
GOAT
MILK
PORK
TURKEY
CHICKEN
EGGS
DUCK
GEESE
MUTTON

To learn more, visit Animal Welfare Approved.

Certified Humane

  • Beef, but not dairy cows, must have continuous access to outdoor pasture.
  • No outdoor requirements for other animals.
  • Animals cannot be confined in cages or crates. Specifies minimum amount of space per animal.
  • Some use of feedlots allowed.
  • GMO feed allowed.
  • No antibiotics given to healthy animals (sick animals must be treated and can be certified).
  • Details standards to minimize painful physical alterations, but does allow for beak trimming and teeth clipping.
  • Slaughter facilities are audited.
BEEF
BISON
LAMB
GOAT
MILK
PORK
TURKEY
CHICKEN
EGGS

To learn more, visit Humane Farm Animal Care.

USDA Organic

  • Animals must have year-round access to the outdoors, including fresh air and direct sunlight. Cows, sheep and goats must have access to pasture.
  • Some use of feedlots allowed.
  • Requires pasture management to maximize soil fertility.
  • Animals fed only certified organic feed.
  • GMO feed prohibited.
  • No antibiotics allowed (sick animals must be treated and are no longer eligible for the certification).
  • Painful physical alterations must be done “in a manner that minimizes pain and stress,” a vague standard that doesn’t provide additional details on how these alterations should be conducted, or if they are even necessary.
  • No audits to ensure humane slaughter.
BEEF
LAMB
GOAT
MILK
PORK
TURKEY
CHICKEN
EGGS

To learn more, visit USDA Certified Organic.

Food Alliance Certified-Grassfed

  • Raised outside on pasture or range for their entire lives.
  • Fed only grass or forage.
  • No grain feeding.
  • GMO feed allowed.
  • No antibiotics allowed (sick animals must be treated and are no longer eligible for the certification).
  • Details standards to minimize painful physical alterations, but does allow for tail docking.
  • No audits to ensure humane slaughter.
BEEF
BISON
LAMB
GOAT
MILK

On any label that boasts it is “Food Alliance Certified,” be sure the term “grassfed” is used. The group’s “sustainable” certification is less rigorous than its “grassfed” label and the other certifications listed as EWG’s most reliable. To learn more, visit Food Alliance.

Global Animal Partnership

The "5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program" offers a range of welfare standards, with step 1 being the least rigorous. EWG recommends you search for products marked as steps 3 and above as they are significantly different from conventional production.

  • Steps 4, 5 and 5+ are raised outside on pasture. Step 3 requires some outdoor access.
  • Steps 1 and 2 do not require outdoor access and allow feedlots.
  • All steps prohibit cages, crates and crowding.
  • GMO feed allowed.
  • No antibiotics given to healthy animals (sick animals must be treated and cannot be certified).
  • Detailed standards to minimize painful physical alterations (tail docking, beak trimming, etc.).
  • No audits to ensure humane slaughter.
BEEF
BISON
LAMB
GOAT
PORK
TURKEY
CHICKEN
EGGS

To learn more, visit Global Animal Partnership.

Marine Stewardship Council

  • Only certifies wild-caught fish.
  • Only certifies fisheries that minimize the environmental impacts on the ecosystem and keep fishing activity at a sustainable level.
  • Requires traceability for each animal from ocean to plate, leading to a best-in-class fraud rate of less than 1 percent. For comparison, the fishing industry averages a fraud rate of 30 percent.
  • Since the fish are caught wild and not farmed, they are not grown with antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.
SEAFOOD

To learn more, visit the Marine Stewardship Council.

Get the App

EWG's Skin Deep® Mobile App

Download EWG’s Healthy Living App Today! Ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products, now at your fingertips.

Download EWG’s Healthy Living App Today! Ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products, now at your fingertips.

Get the App Download App

Other EWG Resources

EWG's Tap Water Database

Children's Health Initiative

EWG's Healthy Living App

Guide to Healthy Cleaning

EWG's Food Scores

EWG's Skin Deep

Safe Cell Phone Use

Cancer Prevention Within Reach