Certified Natural Beef
A USDA Process Verified Programme

Uruguay is a fertile country, where its natural resources: soil, water and air¹ are void of contamination. Beef production systems have been adapted through years of care to the extensive and rich pampa pastures. Native grass and forage species contribute to an outstanding diet, that cattle harvest on their own, grazing freely in open range, with access to abundantly clean water². Ranchers have learned for centuries³ the secrets of proper handling of livestock, incorporating modern production technologies, top quality genetics⁴ and efficient management without the need of antibiotics, hormones⁵ or animal protein in feeds⁶.



The Certified Natural Beef Programme

In order to offer a different product to the consumer, the National Meat Institute of Uruguay (INAC) developed a programme where all these natural attributes are described in a protocol with a Quality Management System (QMS) and standards that ranchers must follow and comply, with full traceability and under strict certification procedures.

The programme was created by, and is the property of the National Meat Institute of Uruguay, who is responsible for controlling the compliance of ranchers and processors, which enables them to grant certification after strict on-site audits.





A USDA Process Verified Programme

Uruguay became the first international state to enjoy the USDA premium label and joins just 16 U.S. companies with a Process Verified certification. The programme earned Process Verified approval from the Department of Agriculture in August 2004 on a ranch to retail basis after a strict USDA review and on-sight audits. The AMS/USDA conducts periodic reviews of process documentation to assure continued compliance.

In November 2004, Canelones Foods met the USDA programme requirements. The certification, granted by CERTICARNES, allows Canelones Foods to slaughter, process and distribute Certified Natural Beef products in the U.S., specially marked as USDA Process Verified with a detailed listing of its attributes. Our beef comes from humanely treated, grass-fed animals with a full traceability system. The USDA Process Verified programme enables Canelones Foods to list the marketing claims on its boxes and labels.


      

              



Certified Natural Beef Claims



• Source verification of animals and products.
All cattle can be fully traced from ranch to harvest, fabrication and packaging. Identification of animals is by means of individual plastic eartags.
• No hormones used.
No growth hormones of any kind or equivalent growth promotants have ever been administered to the animals. These are prohibited in the country by national law since 1984.
• Not fed antibiotics.
No sub-therapeutic antibiotics have been fed or administered as a supplement in feed or water for the purpose of growth promotion.
• No animal proteins in feed.
The animals have never been fed proteins of animal origin except maternal milk. The use of animal proteins in feed is prohibited in the country by national law since 1996.
• Grass fed.
All animals in the program have been grown, raised and fattened on a grass diet. Restricted supplementation levels are accepted to support grazing.
• Animals never confined.
Animals have never been confined to yards or feedlots at any time in their lives, and are raised grazing in open pastures year round. The program is certified by CERTICARNES, an internationally approved ISO 65 Certification Body which is a Technical Department of the National Meat Institute of Uruguay⁷.



Special packaging

Process Verified labeling is an important step in differentiating our brand of beef among others to U.S. consumers. Canelones Foods distributes fresh and frozen Certified Natural Beef in a special box with the official USDA Process Verified security label that guarantees the product and states the claims.





Commonly asked questions:

What is the difference between our USDA PV Certified Natural Beef and our ‘non certified beef’?

All our beef is natural, but our Certified Natural Beef has a USDA PV certificate, stating that the cattle were raised in a certified ranch and processed in a certified plant, Canelones Foods, fully complying with the protocol. This allows a marketing advantage since the boxes and packaging display the official USDA PV label with all the claims.

What is the difference between natural beef and organic beef?

The greatest difference is that organic farming restricts the use of certain fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and medicines for animal production. Both, Canelones Foods USDA PV Certified Natural Beef and Organic Beef may claim the non-use of antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants, animal protein in feeds or feedlotting of animals.