Issues

FACT: As recognized in U.S. dietary guidance, nutrient-dense meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and seafood are critical sources of high-quality, easily digestible essential nutrients and would be very difficult to substitute. Some, including iron and B12, are best and sometimes only naturally found in animal-source foods, which are also now produced with more efficient environmental footprints than ever before. 

FACT: Keeping animals healthy and safe is the animal agriculture community’s top priority because it is the right thing to do and because it is the only way to make and sell nutritious, high-quality meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and seafood. 

Regardless of the size of their farm, today’s farmers and ranchers provide animals with better care than ever, including by following species-specific and internationally recognized standards. Modern nutrition and medical care keep animals healthy, and many animals live in well-ventilated, temperature-controlled indoor housing that protects them from heat, cold, predators and diseases transmitted by people or other animals.

Meat and poultry facilities also follow stringent standards, and federal inspectors are on site to inspect facilities continuously, including to oversee animal care. 

FACT: Meat and milk come only from healthy animals and are tested repeatedly to confirm they are safe to consume prior to being sold at retail.

Hormones like those naturally found in soy and eggs are safe to eat and can help cows produce more beef with a smaller environmental footprint. Hormones are also naturally found in the human body and their use has no impact on the safety or nutrition of beef eaten by humans. Hormones are not used in raising chickens, turkeys, or pigs.

FACT: Comparing cows to cars when it comes to climate is misleading and inaccurate. All animal agriculture accounts for just 4% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while providing high-quality protein and other essential nutrients needed for healthy diets. 

FACT: Dietary recommendations in the United States and around the world include meat as a critical component of healthy diets, and prominent scientists have challenged claims that reducing meat would improve health. After yet another round of scare tactics and splashy headlines about meat, the World Health Organization had this to say: “Meat provides a number of essential nutrients and, when consumed in moderation, has a place in a healthy diet.”