What label do I trust?
Standing in the grocery store shouldn't require a degree in food marketing.
Who doesn’t want to live healthier? Part of that is eating healthy, which has gotten more complicated than it should. Choosing to do that is hard enough, we shouldn’t also have to decipher what is and what isn’t good for you.
It is overwhelming to read labels on the spot and try to understand what they mean.
Some labels have legal definitions/standards and some do not. So what do you trust? Let’s go over some of the common labels and see what they mean and what they are not saying.
But first do you want my opinion and the short answer? Too bad, you’ll get it anyway…Likely, no label is what you wish it to be. In order for companies to produce quality, healthy food at a scale that can be sold at a low price in the grocery store, they very often have to cut corners. Period.
The best way to get the clean food you want is to know who is making, raising or growing it for you. If you trust them, then you can trust the food you put on your table. So get to know your local farmer or baker and if your values align then buy their food and those they recommend and you’ll be living healthier through eating better.
But I understand we still need to visit the grocery store so what do these labels mean?
The common overarching definitions
Organic
What it means:
Certified under USDA Organic standards. Crops are grown without most synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Livestock receive organic feed, no routine antibiotics or hormones, and have outdoor access. Time on pasture is dependent on species and climate. Certified by the government.
What it doesn’t say:
Inherently states non-GMO but doesn’t test for it. Animals can be vaccinated. Chickens have an exemption from the standards for the first day of life…why?
Non GMO
What it means:
This simply means that it was made without genetically modified ingredients.
What it doesn’t say:
It says nothing about pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or organic practices. Certified by multiple 3rd parties, most commonly by “Non GMO Project” which allows less than .9% GMO.
Poultry labels
Cage Free
What it means:
Birds are allowed to move around inside a barn with at least 1 square foot per bird (about the size of a nest box).
What it doesn’t say:
They don’t need access to the outdoors or to be fed or medicated in any particular way. 3rd party verification.
Free Range
What it means:
Birds must have access to the outdoors for at least 50% of their life.
What it doesn’t say:
How long they are outside or if they even go outside. What the “outside” looks like or how big it is (could be a small dirt lot).
Certified Humane
What it means:
This is a certification from Humane Farm Animal Care.
Animal welfare is the priority in its living conditions from temperature, ventilation, food and water access. Requires 1 square foot per 6lbs of animal (about 1 bird).
What it doesn’t say:
Outdoor access to pasture or organic feed.
Pasture Raised
This is a loose term that means different things to different producers. The goal here is to get animals to their natural environment where they thrive, eating and living the way that they should without medical intervention. Unfortunately this is not a very regulated term yet, with the exception of “Certified Humane: Pasture Raised”. This is a high quality standard requiring a large portion of natural living on pasture for the animal.
If you can find “USDA Organic” AND “Certified Humane: Pasture Raised” you have found the highest standard label. Good luck.
While these labels can help us differentiate some of the very industrialized producers from some that are trying to produce more naturally, there is a lot of gray area.
So let me reiterate the best way to know how your food is raised is to know your producer.
We raise our own chicken and eggs for this reason. The labels just don’t meet our standards. We keep our birds on the pasture 100% of the time once they are old enough to go outside. They eat 100% organic feed and get to act like normal chickens.
If that sounds like your standard, and you want to participate in supporting agriculture that does right by the consumer, the animal, the land and the producer, then we would love to help feed your family food that will support your health journey.
