Safe Food

Along with soybean farmers, livestock farmers care. They care about their land and the animals they raise. At the Glass Barn, we address many of the myths and facts about how animals are raised. For instance, many people believe that pork and poultry farmers give their pigs synthetic hormones to speed up growth and produce leaner meat. The truth is all pork and poultry is hormone-free. It’s against the law for farmers to treat their animals with extra hormones.

Pork tenderloin is certified as “heart healthy” by the American Heart Association because it meets the nutritional criteria for extra leanness.

colorful chart showing information about antibiotics used in pork

Antibiotics in milk? There are none. All milk is tested when it leaves the farm. If it has even a trace amount of antibiotics, it’s never sold.

colorful chart showing information about milk and dairy products

Similarly, many falsely believe that pork farmers give such high levels of antibiotics that they are unsafe for human consumption. Farmers DO give their pigs antibiotics to prevent and control disease, but only in small, controlled amounts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict guidelines and won’t allow meat to be sold containing antibiotics above its safety level.

colorful chart showing information about pork

Finally, the way chickens are raised can create lots of confusion in the egg aisle. There are cartons marked as white eggs, brown eggs, cage-free eggs, free range and organic eggs. These labels simply indicate the way the chickens were raised, not the nutrition content of the eggs. All eggs have the same nutritional content (unless they have been labeled nutritionally enhanced).

colorful chart showing that all eggs have the same nutritional value whether organic or conventional

Visit our FAQ page to get some other questions answered about livestock production.

How do you ensure the milk from your farm is safe to drink?

a brown haired woman wearing black jacket in front of trees

How do you ensure the practices on your farm are producing safe and nutritious pork?

an indiana farmers wearing light green shirt in front of her family farm

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