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Animal Welfare Institute sues USDA

The Animal Welfare Institute says it has sued the USDA in federal court for the agency’s “failure to mandate third-party audits of food label claims.”

The complaint says the USDA has unreasonably delayed its response to a 2014 petition asking it to require independent certification of label claims such as “humane,” “sustainable,” “animal compassionate,” and “raised with care.”

The Institute says gaps in the label approval process cause “consumer confusion and deception.”