Additive guides · Product label guide

Meat label claims decoded: air chilled, natural, uncured, no antibiotics ever and bioengineered.

Updated October 30, 2026

What air chilled, natural, uncured, no antibiotics ever and bioengineered mean on meat and poultry labels, with the USDA FSIS and AMS rules behind each and how many catalog labels use celery powder.

Quick answer

Four of these claims are defined or checked by USDA, and one is not. Natural means no artificial ingredient or added color and only minimal processing. Uncured means the product has no added synthetic nitrite, and its label must say no nitrates or nitrites added except those naturally occurring in a named source such as celery powder. No antibiotics ever claims need documentation reviewed by FSIS. Bioengineered disclosure follows the USDA AMS standard. Air chilled has no FSIS definition we could find; the related rule is on retained water.

Natural: No artificial ingredient, minimally processed
Uncured: No added nitrite except natural sources
Retained water rule: 9 CFR 441.10
Celery powder in our catalog: 71 current labels

01 · A closer look

Air chilled.

Air chilled means a bird was cooled with cold air after slaughter instead of in a tank of chilled water. We found no FSIS definition of the phrase. The rule that touches it is 9 CFR 441.10 on retained water: raw meat and poultry may not retain water from post-evisceration processing unless the plant shows with data that it is unavoidable, and products that retain water must be labeled with the maximum percentage, in words such as up to X percent retained water. The same section describes the usual poultry chillers as water-based types. So “air chilled” is a description of the process, and the retained-water statement on the package is the checkable part.

9 CFR 441.10: retained water in raw meat and poultry products

02 · A closer look

Natural.

For meat and poultry, FSIS describes natural as a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and only minimally processed, and the label must include a statement explaining what natural means for that product. Natural claims are reviewed by FSIS before use. It does not mean raised without antibiotics, and it says nothing about how the animal lived.

USDA FSIS: meat and poultry labeling terms

03 · A closer look

Uncured and “no nitrates or nitrites added”.

A product that would normally be cured with sodium nitrite, but is made with a natural source such as celery powder, must be labeled uncured, because natural sources are not approved curing agents. Its label must also carry the statement no nitrates or nitrites added, qualified by except for those naturally occurring in the named source, for example celery powder. FSIS says terms such as naturally cured are not appropriate. Uncured is a label term, not a statement that there is no nitrite in the product.

9 CFR 319.2: products and nitrates and nitrites

04 · A closer look

Uncured bacon.

Uncured bacon is the case most shoppers meet. It is bacon cured with celery powder or celery juice, and the package must say uncured and no nitrates or nitrites added except those naturally occurring in celery powder. The table below counts how many current labels in our catalog list celery powder, and how many list sodium nitrite by name. Consumer groups petitioned FSIS in 2019 to stop requiring or allowing the uncured label for these products; we found no final decision, so check FSIS for the current status.

9 CFR 317.17: interpretation and statement of labeling policy for cured products

05 · A closer look

No antibiotics ever.

Claims about how an animal was raised, such as raised without antibiotics, are voluntary. FSIS’s guideline on substantiating animal-raising claims says the maker must document the claim, and labels with these claims go to FSIS for review. The guideline also notes that an organic certificate does not by itself support claims such as grass fed or free range. Look for the exact wording and any third-party certifier named on the package.

USDA FSIS: guideline on substantiating animal-raising or environment-related labeling claims

06 · A closer look

Bioengineered.

USDA AMS runs the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. Meat, poultry and egg products are covered only in limited cases, such as when the most predominant ingredient would itself be subject to FDA labeling, and food from an animal that ate bioengineered feed is not considered bioengineered solely for that reason. Restaurants and very small manufacturers are exempt. A package with no disclosure usually means no intentionally bioengineered ingredient, with a tolerance for inadvertent presence.

USDA AMS: National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, general FAQ

07 · A closer look

What the catalog can and cannot show.

Our label data holds ingredient lists, so the counts here are the ingredient-level facts: celery powder and nitrite. Whether a package says air chilled, no antibiotics ever or natural is a front-of-pack claim we do not record, so we do not count it. The checker treats the cured-meat ingredients that appear on the ingredient list under its preservatives group.

USDA FSIS: meat and poultry labeling terms

Useful answers

What does air chilled chicken mean?

It means the bird was cooled with cold air rather than in chilled water. We found no FSIS definition; 9 CFR 441.10 requires products that retain water to be labeled with the maximum percentage retained.

What does natural mean on meat?

For FSIS, no artificial ingredient or added color and only minimal processing, with a label statement explaining it. It does not describe how the animal was raised.

What does uncured bacon mean?

It is cured with a natural nitrite source such as celery powder rather than sodium nitrite. The label must say uncured and no nitrates or nitrites added except those naturally occurring in the named source.

Does no antibiotics ever mean anything?

It is a voluntary claim that FSIS expects the maker to document, and labels with it go to FSIS for review.

Do meat labels have to say bioengineered?

Only in limited cases under the AMS standard, and food from an animal that ate bioengineered feed is not considered bioengineered solely for that reason.

An ingredient check is not a nutrition, contaminant, allergy, or safety assessment.

From the catalog · 8 labels

Celery powder and juice on current labels

Of the 4,729 products whose full ingredient list we have read in the last 90 days, 71 (from 34 brands) list celery powder, celery juice or cultured celery. A natural nitrite source is how most uncured products are cured. Below are up to 8 of them, one per brand; open a product to see its full label and the date we read it.

Celery powder, celery juice or cultured celery on current labels in the CleanFoodScore catalog (counted at the last site build)
	Labels
Current, complete labels checked	4,729
List celery powder, celery juice or cultured celery	71 (1.5%)
Of those, no additive group flagged by the checker	60 of 71
Also flagged: Seed Oils	6 of 71
Also flagged: MSG	3 of 71
Also flagged: Artificial Preservatives	1 of 71
Of those, on a meat or poultry shelf	59
Labels on the Jerky & meat sticks shelf	33
Labels on the Meat cuts & sausages shelf	10
Labels on the Pork & bacon shelf	8
Labels on the Deli meat shelf	6
Labels on the Frozen pizza shelf	6

From the catalog · 4 labels

Nitrite and nitrate by name

Labels that list sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate by name are cured with a synthetic nitrite; labels that list celery powder are cured with a natural source. The two are different label claims for the same job.

Cured meat labels on the meat, poultry, deli and meat snack shelves (counted at the last site build)
	Labels
List sodium nitrite or nitrate by name	68
List celery powder, juice or cultured celery	59
Celery powder labels on the Jerky & meat sticks shelf	33
Celery powder labels on the Meat cuts & sausages shelf	10
Celery powder labels on the Pork & bacon shelf	8
Celery powder labels on the Deli meat shelf	6
Celery powder labels on the Poultry shelf	2

The short answer

Our picks for meat label claims decoded

Top of the shelfKirkland Signature Organic Greens 100% Juice, Charcutnuvo Organic Smoked Grass-Fed Beef Andouille Sausage, and Charcutnuvo Organic Smoked Grass-Fed Beef Polish Sausage each score 100/100. 6 products tie at 100; these 3 have the shortest labels. Use Compare by in the table to separate the rest.

Also strongPacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth (100), True Story Foods Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (100), and True Story Foods Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Mini Hot Dogs (100).

Clear noWhite Oak Pastures Hickory Smoked Jalapeño Cheddar Pastured Pork Sausage (lists MSG).

Ranked from 10 of 10 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

Only show matches

10 of 10 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
		Buy
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	6
Recorded ingredients Organic Beef, Water, Organic Onions, Organic Potato Starch, Sea Salt, Organic Vinegar, Organic Spices, Organic Paprika, Organic Garlic, Cultured Celery Powder. Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-16 Producer claims Organic · Grass-fed The exact source catalog title states: “Organic Smoked Grass-Fed Beef Andouille Sausage”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-16
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	6
Recorded ingredients Organic Beef, Water, Organic Potato Starch, Sea Salt, Organic Vinegar, Organic Garlic, Organic Spices, Organic Paprika, Organic Mustard, Cultured Celery Powder. Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-16 Producer claims Organic · Grass-fed The exact source catalog title states: “Organic Smoked Grass-Fed Beef Polish Sausage”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-16
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Product details →	5
Recorded ingredients MINT JUICE, CUCUMBER JUICE, APPLE JUICE, KALE JUICE, LETTUCE JUICE, CELERY JUICE AND LEMON JUICE*. Label checked 2026-10-18 · US Source: USDA FoodData Central ↗ · FDC ID 2435961 · data date 2022-12-22 · release 2026-04-30. Brand-submitted label record, public domain (CC0). Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-18
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	5
Recorded ingredients Water, Organic Carrot Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt, Organic Celery Juice Concentrate, Organic Garlic, Organic Leek Juice Concentrate, Organic Onion Juice Concentrate, Organic Tomato Paste, Organic Mushroom Juice Concentrate, Organic Spices, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. Label checked 2026-10-19 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-19 Producer claims Organic The exact source catalog title states: “Organic Vegetable Broth”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-19
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	6
Recorded ingredients Organic Beef, Water, 2% or less of: Sea Salt, Black Pepper‡, Ginger‡, Nutmeg‡, Red Pepper Flakes‡, Paprika‡, Garlic Powder‡, Onion Powder‡, Coriander Extract‡, Vinegar, Celery Powder, Minced Onion‡, Garlic Puree‡. (‡Organic) Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-16 Producer claims Organic · Grass-fed The exact source catalog title states: “Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Beef Hot Dogs”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-16
	100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organic	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	6
Recorded ingredients Organic Beef, Water, 2% or less of: Sea Salt, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Ginger, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Red Pepper Flakes, Organic Paprika, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Coriander Extract, Organic Vinegar Powder, Organic Cultured Celery Juice Powder, Organic Minced Onion, Organic Garlic Puree. Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-16 Producer claims Organic · Grass-fed The exact source catalog title states: “Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Mini Hot Dogs”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-16
	75 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claim	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	5
Recorded ingredients grass-fed beef, water, organic cheddar cheese (organic cultured unpasteurized milk from grass-fed cows, sea salt, vegetarian enzyme), sea salt, cultured celery juice powder, organic garlic powder, organic black pepper. Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-16 Producer claims Grass-fed The exact source catalog title states: “Grass Fed Beef & Cheddar Sausage”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-16
	68 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claim	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	4
Recorded ingredients Pastured Pork, Cheddar Cheese, Sea Salt, Turbinado Sugar, Green Chile Flakes, Ground Jalapeño, Sodium Phosphate, Monosodium Glutamate, Spices, Paprika, Sodium Erythorbate, Celery Powder, Cherry Juice Powder, in a Natural Pork Casing Label checked 2026-10-11 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Sourcing claim evidence ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-05 Producer claims Pasture-raised The exact source catalog title states: “Hickory Smoked Jalapeño Cheddar Pastured Pork Sausage”. Source catalog claims are shown separately from ingredient checks. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed 2026-10-05
	60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claim	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	4
Recorded ingredients Turkey Thigh, Water, Contains 2% or less of: Organic Brown Sugar, Sea Salt, Organic White Pepper, Organic Thyme, Organic Garlic Powder, Dry Vinegar, Turbinado Sugar, Celery Powder and Cherry Powder. Label checked 2026-10-16 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed
	60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claim	Find where to buy ↗Product details →	4
Recorded ingredients Pork, Salt, Spices (Mustard powder, Celery salt, coriander, Smoked paprika, Onion powder, Garlic powder, Black pepper Label checked 2026-10-11 · US Ingredient evidence source ↗ Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗ Reviewed

How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

9 CFR 441.10: retained water in raw meat and poultry products law.cornell.edu
USDA FSIS: meat and poultry labeling terms usda.gov
9 CFR 319.2: products and nitrates and nitrites law.cornell.edu
9 CFR 317.17: interpretation and statement of labeling policy for cured products law.cornell.edu
USDA FSIS: guideline on substantiating animal-raising or environment-related labeling claims usda.gov
USDA AMS: National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, general FAQ ams.usda.gov
7 CFR Part 66: National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard law.cornell.edu