Food Label Definitions

Hopefully this will assist you in having a greater understanding as to what these definitions actually mean.

Cage-free:

The term refers to hens that are not raised in cages, but it does not necessarily mean they have access to the outdoors. It also can mean that they are free to roam around in the gigantic houses that hold thousand of birds in a very confined space.

There is no standard definition of “cage-free,” but it generally implies that the birds are free to roam around outside of cages, however that may or may not be the case. Most cage-free claims are not certified, though some cage-free eggs are certified by American Humane Certified label.

Certified Humane:

Products carrying this label are certified to come from animals that were never confined in cages or crates, were not subjected to having their beaks removed (to prevent injury to other birds) and have been  slaughtered and processed according to a specific set of requirements designed to minimize the suffering of the animal.

The use of  antibiotics or hormones is not permitted. “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” and “Animal Welfare Approved” are the two main certifications for humanely handled animals. The Food Alliance follows very similar standards.

However, “Certified Humane” does not mean that the animals had access to a pasture to roam or graze, but the label stating “Animal Welfare Approved” does require they have a pasture to roam and graze..

Farmed Fish:

This rapidly growing industry raises fish for human consumption in large tanks or large wire pens (generally open to the surrounding water (ocean or river).These pens are anchored in the coastal areas or other large bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes..

There is another name for this and many people will say, we don't for farm raised fish we do "aquaculture". It is the same thing. Farming of fish is expanding due to the global decrease in the wild fish catch. About fifty percent of all of the seafood sold in the U.S. is now farm raised.

To feed the farmed fish such as salmon, it means that the harvesting of millions of tons of smaller wild fish (such as anchovies and sardines) must be done to produce fishmeal and fish oil. Catfish and other farmed fish are fed mostly corn and soybeans (which are genetically modified, not to mention that fish don't naturally eat corn and soybeans). Even humans have trouble digesting corn! Farmed fish such as tilapia eat a variety of algae and seaweed as well as other aquatic plants.

The pens used to raise the fish, pollute the local waters with waste, excessive amounts of feed as well as the antibiotics the fish are given. This also spreads diseases as well as parasites that may be sensitive to other wild marine species.

With the rapidly growing farmed shrimp ponds, many thousands of acres of coastal areas have been destroyed, especially the mangrove forests, to provide fish nurseries. These mangrove trees protected against storms and also helped the local economy.

 Free-range:

In the US, this term applies only to the poultry market and is controlled by the USDA. What it  indicates that the animals have been “allowed access to the outside.” The USDA does not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside. The actually can be kept in chicken or turkey houses that have windows that allow natural light and fresh air?

Grass-fed:

This term technically refers only to animals fed a diet of natural grass and other forage, not grain, but it does often indicate that the farm practices more humane policies, that are not generally associated with the industrially processed meat, such as local butchering, more roaming and grazing as well as less crowded conditions.  


The main labels are: “grass-fed” certified by the Food Alliance, the American Grassfed Association and or the USDA, it requires that the animals eat a diet exclusively of forage, grasses and things found in nature. Many companies label their meat as “naturally raised” or grass-fed, actually feed their animals grain (which consists of corn, soybeans and other things) that cows don't normally eat.

USDA’s requirement is only that animals “must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.” It does not necessarily mean that the animals spend their entire lives in pastures or on rangeland. Many cattle sold as USDA grass-fed actually spend part of their lives in confined pens or feedlots.


 Hormone-free/No added hormones:

This means that the animals were never given any hormone treatments. To increase their profits, some farmers give hormones to beef cattle and sheep to speed their growth and to dairy cows to increase their milk production.

The USDA does not allow hormones to be used on chicken or hogs. The European Union does not allow hormones in any meat. The extensive use of hormones in meat and dairy products may increase the risk of cancer in humans and can also result in higher rates of infections in the animals. “Organic” products cannot come from rGBH cows.

There is not a specific hormone-free certification, although, organic and grass-fed labeled products cannot contain any hormones.

Lean/Extra Lean:

USDA-defines these terms as “lean” = 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of beef must have fewer than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

And “extra lean” = 100 grams of beef must have fewer than 5 grams of fat, fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

Natural:

The USDA defines a natural product as one that contains “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only  processed minimally”.

Processing must not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a specific explanation such as “no artificial ingredients;  processed minimally”.

All fresh meat qualifies as natural. This term does not include any requirements that animals be raised in sufficient open space or that it has no added hormones or antibiotic; it is not the same as organic.

The term is very ambiguous and is used by so many companies because their is no clear definition of the term. It often misleads consumers to think that a product is healthier and or processed more humanely.

No Nitrites or Nitrates:

Meats that are processed, such as lunch meat, ham, bacon or hot dogs most likely contain nitrates, that are added to prevent the growth of  harmful bacteria as well as to enhance color of the meats.

Meats processed with nitrates may increase the risk of cancers or other health problems. Look for meats that are processed with vegetable-based nitrates, such as celery or salt. Be careful to watch the sodium content.

Organic:

To be labeled organic the product must be third-party certified to meet USDA’s criteria, which is very specific.The foods cannot be genetically modified, synthetic fertilizers cannot be used, cannot be irradiated, sewer sludge nor chemicals used in any form. Organic meat and poultry cannot be treated with antibiotics or hormones. The animals must be fed only organically grown food and without any animal byproducts. Organic  animals must have access to the outdoors and have access to a pasture. Fruits and Vegetables are identified   by either the “100% organic” or “organic” label. The labels are the round circle that has USDA in the top half and ORGANIC in the lower half. The label can be either black or green.

Pasture-raised:

Animals raised in a pasture, also called free range, where the animals can roam and graze on the grasses and other plants that they are able to digest naturally. There is not a pasture-raised certification, however, organic animals must have continuous access to a pasture.

Processed meats:

Processed meats contain sodium, artificial coloring,  flavor enhancers,  and most likely some form of  preservatives, like nitrites. This is supposed to eliminate the risk of  food borne diseases. These are also used as a way to reduce spoilage and rancidity.  Unless is is labeled organic, it is probably processed, meats such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meats, salami as well as pepperoni. These meats are not labeled as "processed", that is why it is so important to read the labels of your food.

Both the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Society recommend limit your intake of  processed meats. Their research has linked high consumption of these items to colorectal, stomach and kidney cancer.

Process Verified Chicken:

This is a brand new label that was created by the USDA specifically for companies such as Tyson and Perdue. Two of the largest poultry producers. You will notice that both have new TV adds that are touting the fact that their products have this label.

The definition of this label is that the chickens are fed a vegetarian diet (a diet usually containing grains, most of which are produced by Monsanto farms that provide the corn and soybeans that are genetically modified) and that no animal by-products were used in the feeding.

They must also be raised “cage free”, however, it does not specify that the chickens cannot be kept in the huge over crowded chicken houses used by both of the above-mentioned companies.

rBGH-free:

These products come from animals that are not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST).

rGBH is a genetically engineered hormone approved by the FDA in 1993 that causes an artificial increase in the cows milk production by as much as 10% to 15%. In both cows and humans, there has been health concerns for those exposed to this drug.

The ruling on labeling changes so you cannot be sure that just because a label does not say it is rGBH free that it is. Buying organic dairy products is the best way to avoid rGBH since it cannot be used in organic products.

Saturated Fat:

This is one of the four  main types of fats that appear in our foods. Fat is a necessary for a healthy body, however, it should be a healthy fat. Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats are best, they usually come from plant based products such as olive oil, nuts, etc. However, coconut oil does have saturated fat. Fats that are derived from animal-based foods are predominantly saturated, such as butter and lard.

The  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urge people to limit intake of saturated fat, excessive saturated fat has been associated with health problems.

Sodium:


The labeling that is on all food packaging is so misleading due to the fact that if a label has the sodium in the regular portion of the label and "salt" in the ingredient list below or to the side of the larger label portion and sodium is only a component of salt. Salt is sodium chloride and it is only 40%of salt. So to determine the actual amount of salt in the product you need to take the sodium content and multiply it by 2.5 to arrive at the true salt content. For example: 1000mg of sodium X 2.5 equals 2500mg of salt! Shocking isn't it?

Sodium nitrate/nitrite-free:

Products with this label are free of  this chemical preservative / color fixative that is usually added to processed meats to increase the shelf life, enhance the product color and can add a smoky flavor.

Purchasing meats made without these chemicals are safer; they are usually “cured / processed" with a  vegetable-based nitrate that may be less harmful to your health.

Wild-caught/Wild Fish:

“Wild fish” is the best label to look for, it indicates that the fish was spawned (born) in the wild, lived in the wild (ocean of river) and was caught in the wild.

“Wild-caught fish” may have been born and or lived some part of their life in a fish farm before being released back into the wild and was then eventually caught in the wild.

There are three labels that have been used more recently in the fish markets. That is a RED for farm raised, inhumanely treated, basically don't purchase this fish. Yellow indicates that the fish is sustainable (still a bit murky as to the definition that not everyone uses). Green indicates the fish was wild, was humanely caught and processed. This is the one you want to buy.

Also, beware of fish that says it is fresh. You need to ask if it was previously frozen, it is supposed to be labeled as such if it is. Also, you need to pay attention as to where the fish was caught (if it doesn't say, ask), because it you live in a area where fresh fish is not common (such as AZ) and the fish was caught in Norway, it cannot possibly be fresh by the time it is caught, processed and shipped to you. Pay attention.

Fish that was flash frozen on a boat can actually be better and fresher than fresh fish. If they catch it and clean it and then freeze it right away, it is generally fresher than the fish being in a holding tank, coming back to shore, cleaning and processing the fish and then shipping it out. So look for that on the labels as well.

For a list of sustainable fish, go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s (Monterey, CA) list of the most sustainable seafood choices or look for a label from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).