Whole Foods Expanded RaiseWell Certification Program
The retailer added chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb to its third-party verified animal welfare standard.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Organic Food
Live Poll
Do you look for third-party animal welfare certifications when purchasing meat products at the grocery store?
Whole Foods Market has expanded its RaiseWell Certified program to include poultry and additional red meat options. The program, which previously covered only beef, mandates that producers abstain from using antibiotics or added hormones.
Why it matters
The program expansion serves growing consumer demand for transparent animal welfare practices and higher production standards. It provides a single audit path for ranchers to verify sustainability claims while meeting strict retailer requirements.
The RaiseWell certification requires livestock to be source-verified to the farm of origin and prohibits antibiotics or added hormones. The program integrates with the CARE Certified standard to streamline sustainability claims during audits.
The players
Whole Foods Market
This American multinational supermarket chain specializes in natural and organic products and is owned by Amazon.
Where Food Comes From, Inc.
This third-party verification company provides certification services for food production practices across North America.
The details
The program relies on third-party verification provided by Where Food Comes From, Inc., based in Castle Rock, Colorado. This entity oversees the enrollment process and on-farm audits to ensure compliance with the retailer’s rigorous sourcing criteria.
Timeline
Earlier in 2026, the RaiseWell program successfully launched for beef suppliers.
On October 5, 2026, Whole Foods Market expanded the program to include chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb.
Culture Shift
The move aligns with a broader shift toward supply chain transparency and the consolidation of varied third-party sustainability certifications. By integrating with existing frameworks like the CARE Certified standard, the program reflects a trend in simplifying complex agricultural audit requirements.
Shoppers can now identify chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb products that meet the same antibiotic-free and hormone-free standards as the retailer's previously certified beef. This change allows consumers to apply consistent welfare criteria to a larger portion of their protein purchases.
The takeaway
Retailers continue to leverage proprietary certification programs to differentiate their offerings and cater to values-driven shoppers. Consumers seeking higher standards can verify products by looking for the specific program label at the point of sale.
Further reading
Learn more about evolving industry standards in the Organic Food section.
More information
For more information on certification criteria, visit the Where Food Comes From website.
Live Poll
Do you look for third-party animal welfare certifications when purchasing meat products at the grocery store?
