Learn About Real Meat

Further reading

Trusted outside resources from government agencies, universities and legal researchers.

• USDA FSIS: Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms
  FSIS's official glossary of label words such as natural, fresh, kosher, halal and no hormones.
• USDA AMS: Beef Grading Shields
  USDA's beef grade shields with marbling photos for Prime, Choice and Select.
• USDA AMS: Labeling Organic Products
  How the USDA organic seal and the "100% organic," "organic" and "made with organic" labels work.
• USDA FSIS Guideline FSIS-GD-2024-0006: Substantiating Animal-Raising or Environment-Related Labeling Claims
  FSIS's 2024 guideline on claims like grass-fed, pasture-raised and raised without antibiotics.
• USDA FSIS: How to Find the USDA Establishment (EST) Number on Food Packaging
  How to find the USDA establishment number that identifies the plant that produced a package.
• FDA: Human Food Made with Cultured Animal Cells
  The FDA's overview of how food made from cultured animal cells is produced and regulated.
• FDA: Plant-Based Milk and Animal Food Alternatives
  The FDA's page on labeling plant-based alternatives to milk, meat, eggs and other animal foods.
• National Agricultural Law Center: Alternative Protein Laws State Compilation
  A state-by-state table of cell-cultured meat bans and alternative-protein labeling laws.
• USDA Local Food Directories
  USDA search tool for farmers markets, on-farm markets and other local food sellers.
• University of Missouri Extension: Buying Meat Direct From the Farm
  University of Missouri step-by-step guide to buying a whole, half or quarter animal.
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension: What To Expect When Buying a Freezer Beef
  University of Maine bulletin on how much meat and freezer space to expect from a freezer beef.
• Clemson Cooperative Extension (Land-Grant Press): A Guide to Buying Local Beef
  Clemson Extension's guide to finding producers, inspection, grading and pricing for local beef.

Prefer to watch? See our Informational Videos.

This page is general educational information, not legal, medical, or nutritional advice. Regulations differ by country and state and change over time. Check current official sources. Links to outside websites are provided for information only; Real Meat Directory is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.