Niman Ranch Farms - Beyond the Definition of Natural

The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has defined the term “natural” as any food product that is ‘minimally process,” and that has “no artificial ingredients.” As the farmers and ranchers who operate Niman Ranch Farms know, this definition doesn’t go far enough, as it fails to address standards of animal raising practice, or even the use of antibiotics and/or hormones in the process.

What this means, essentially, is that many so-called “natural” food producers continue to use antibiotic withdrawal programs, meaning that while most of the animals are given antibiotics at some point in the lives, there are taken off of those antibiotics just in time to get a negative result during the test. Because of this negative test result, the animals are considered officially natural, and the package containing the food product will often make the “no antibiotic” claim somewhere on the label.

Niman Ranch Farms approach the term “natural” a little differently, as they understand what it means to raise authentically natural meat…that that goes far beyond the USDA’s definition while providing the consumer something far more delicious. Every animal raised on a Niman Ranch Farm is treated and raised both humanely and sustainably at all times, and is fed a completely vegetarian diet that never includes the use of hormones or antibiotics. This is why Niman Ranch puts “never-ever” on the label of every Niman Ranch product, assuring the customer they are buying something truly and authentically natural each and every time. 

Never is a Niman Ranch animal given an antibiotic or hormone, and all Niman Ranch livestock is raised in an outdoor or deeply bedded pen environment.