The Never Fed Beta Agonists marketing claim is available to companies that produce livestock and beef and pork products and submit marketing programs to the Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program for verification and monitoring. Companies have the option to meet the requirements of the Never Fed Beta Agonists marketing claim under either a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) or the USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program. The requirements for these programs are defined in the USDA Process Verified Program QAD 1001 Procedure, USDA Process Verified Program and the USDA Quality System Assessment Program QAD 1002 USDA Quality System Assessment Program. The USDA QSVP ensures that the Never Fed Beta Agonists program requirements are supported by a documented quality management system.
To operate an approved Never Fed Beta Agonists marketing program, a company must submit a documented program that meets the program requirements outlined in QAD 1007 Procedure, as well as either the QAD 1002 Procedure for QSA applicants, or the QAD 1001 for PVP applicants.
Beef and pork meat and meat products derived from animals that meet the requirements to be labeled as Never Fed Beta Agonists are eligible for customers that require verification of a marketing claim that the meat is derived from animals that were never fed beta agonists and is free of beta agonist residues.
The approved Programs listed on the Official Listing below have been found in conformance with the requirements of Never Fed Beta Agonists Program. These suppliers have been audited and approved by AMS and have been found in conformance with the requirements of the Never Fed Beta Agonists Program and the criteria of their approved quality management systems.
Additional Resources
- Approved Verification (Screening) Methods for Beta Agonists (pdf)
- QAD 1001: USDA Process Verified Program (pdf)
- QAD 1002: USDA Quality System Assessment Program (pdf)
- QAD 1007: QSVP Never Fed Beta Agonists Program (pdf)
- QAD 1040: Livestock Feeding Claims Audit Program (pdf)