Know your Labels!

While we might feel as though we can trust product labels, often there are no legal definitions for some of the new claims such as “humane”, “sustainable”, or “farm-raised”.  This means that food producers can use potentially misleading terms on their labels all the while raising their animals in confinement, subjecting them to animal cruelty, and giving them antibiotics and hormones.   Legally defined terms and certification can help the consumer be sure of what they are purchasing; however, it is important to note that there are often NO checks being done to ensure that the claims are upheld.  In fact, this has been our personal experience when we asked a regulator how they would ensure that a farm was going to stop their fraudulent practices.  Either personal inspection of the farm or third party independent certification where farms are toured and inspected may be your best bet at ensuring your food standards are being met.     

Label Claims

All Natural/Natural/No Additives

• Does NOT have anything to do with how the animals were raised.  
• Does NOT mean that animals have access to the outdoors
• Does NOT mean that the animals are antibiotic or hormone free
• Simply means that the product contains no artificial ingredients or colors and was minimally processed.

Beyond Organic/Better than Organic/Family Farmed/Farmstead/Locally Grown/Pastured/Pasture-Raised/Sustainable/Sustainable Agriculture

• No standards exist for these claims unless under a specific certification.  Please see our page on certifications for more details.

Crate-Free

• Does not mean that it the pork product was BOTH gestation or farrowing crate free.
• There are NO standards for this and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful.

Vegetarian or No-animal by-products used in feed

• Does NOT mean that animals have access to the outdoors.
• There are NO standards for this and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful.

Humane/Humanely Raised   (Please see our page on certifications for Certified Humane)

• Does NOT mean that animals had access to the outdoors.
• Does NOT mean that the animals are antibiotic or hormone free.
• Does NOT mean that mutilations, such as beak trimming, are not occurring since this is a routine practice.  
• There are NO standards for this and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful unless labeled with "Certified Humane".

Cage Free

• Most birds raised for meat are not confined to cages so this term does not apply to broilers.  However, this does NOT mean that they have access to uncrowded conditions or the outdoors.  
• Does NOT mean that laying hens have access to the outdoors.
• There are NO standards for this and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful.

No Hormones or Steroids Added/Given

• This statement has no meaning for chicken/eggs or pork as the USDA prohibits the use of artificial hormones and steroids in all chicken and pork production.
• This statement would be pertinent for beef

No Hormones Administered

• Applies to beef and dairy cattle
• USDA is accountable for this claim, but no third party verification exists

No Antibiotics/No Antibiotics Added

• Applies to poultry, cattle, hogs, and sheep
• USDA is accountable for this claim, but no third party verification exists

Free Range or Free Roaming:

• No standards for egg production
• No standards for stocking density
• No standards for outdoor access
• No standards for what the birds are fed
• No third party audit to ensure this label is truthful.

Grass-Finished/Green-Fed (Please see our page on certifications for Certified Grass Fed Labels)

• There are NO standards for this and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful.

Fertile Eggs:

• No standards for this claim and no inspections are done to ensure this label is truthful.
• Usually farm raised and are with the roosters which means that they were most likely not caged.

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