FOOD QUALITY GUIDE
Remember our discussion in Step 1 about the power our words have on our actions? This truth is no secret to marketing companies and agribusinesses vying for your food dollar—they have been leveraging the power of words for decades. Just a quick glance at almost any item in the store and you will see a vast array of buzzwords designed to catch your eye, capture your values, and convince you to buy. The problem we face as mindful consumers is understanding exactly what these marketing terms mean and how accurately they describe the food in question. When taken at face value, it would seem these labels could help us choose food and products that are safer for our families and better for our bodies—but a closer examination of these marketing terms reveals most are more gimmick than informative. Take a look at the definitions of common marketing terms below and learn to decode the deceptive language of marketing so you can truly know what you are purchasing.
“Free Range” This term can be put on the label of poultry products as long as the chickens have “access to the outdoors.” With no standards set for living conditions, length of time spent outside, or terms of the “access” made available as well as no on-site inspections to verify the claims—chickens could still be kept in cramped factory farm
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Food Quality Guide
FOOD QUALITY GUIDE
conditions and never see the outdoors aside from a small increase in light that streams in when a small door is opened for 1 minute per day to provide “access to the outside.” This term can be used equally on a chicken in these horrid conditions and a chicken who spends its days strutting in the green grass, eating bugs and soaking up some sun—so it is truly a useless term unless you know your poultry farmer. According to Greenerchoices.org, this label is only slightly more meaningful when applied to beef products as it means the cattle had free access to the outdoors for at least 120 days per year. However, there are no guidelines on the size or condition of the outside space and it does not mean the cows grazed on the range.
“Humanely Raised” While consumers would hope this label is a guarantee that the animals were raised in healthy, natural conditions and with appropriate food and care, the truth is there are no standards or definitive requirements as to what constitutes “humane” treatment. The producer gets to define that term and only needs to submit written claims to get approval for this label—no farm visits are made to verify the treatment is as stated in the submission. Unless you have seen the farm and treatment yourself, this label holds little validity.
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Food Quality Guide
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“Raised Without Hormones or Antibiotics” While these labels mean what they say—no hormones or antibiotics were given to the animal—the approval/verification process is very weak. Producers just have to submit documentation to the USDA for a one-time approval. No farm visit is conducted and there is no annual review. For hormones, there is also an alarming loophole that allows the hormone oxytocin to be given to breeder pigs and cattle to induce labor and initiate milk production—so the cow or pig you are eating may not have been given hormones directly, but it likely received some from the mother during birth and while suckling. This label is difficult to trust given these factors, but it does provide assurance that the farmer claims never to administer antibiotics or hormones in the animal’s food, water, or via injection.
“Pasture Raised” What it means: This terms assures you that the animal spent at least part of its life on a pasture, or with access to one, and was not confined indoors continually. As with other terms of this nature, there are no industry standards to set parameters for how much pasture access animals are given and what the living conditions are, nor does anyone inspect the farm to verify the claim. Pasture raised also does not indicate that the animal was fed exclusively from the pasture, they can be given grains. Seeing this label is
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somewhat helpful as it does indicate the animal spent more time outside than most animals raised for consumption, which is closer to how nature intended them to be raised.
“Grass-fed” or “100% Grass-Fed” The USDA has defined the term “grass-fed” to mean that an animal has been fed grass exclusively after being weaned. “Grass” can include grasses, forbs (legumes, brassica), and cereal grains in their vegetative state, hay, silage, and crop residue. No grain or grain by-products can be part of the feed. The FDA regulates dairy products and has set no definitions or standards for use of the grass-fed label. Assuming the producer is honest about their feeding process (again, there is no farm visit or annual review of claims), the grass-fed label does indicate better quality meat as the animals were raised with their natural diet. For dairy products, it only indicates the animal was fed grass as part of the diet, not necessarily that grain was excluded. There is no substitute for knowing your farmer!
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FOOD QUALITY GUIDE
“Cage Free” The term “cage free” on an egg carton can be taken at face value— it literally means the hens were not confined to a cage. It does not mean they had any outdoor access and they could still be raised in extremely crowded, unhygienic conditions that leaves no room to move around freely. If you see this term on chicken meat, it is pure gimmick as no meat chickens are raised in a caged system— so all factory farmed chicken meat is “cage free.” It is important to note that the FDA oversees egg labeling and does not require any approval process to use this term—but if you see the USDA Grade Shield, it means the USDA verified the claim.
“Natural” This term is the least trustworthy claim of all because there is no regulatory agency, no defined terms of use, and it is up to the producer to decide what it means for their product. The USDA has suggested guidelines that “natural” products contain no artificial ingredients or added color, but these guidelines are not enforced. If you see this label on packaged foods—read the ingredient list. If you see it on a fresh food item like meat—it has no real bearing on how the animal was raised.
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Food Quality Guide
FOOD QUALITY GUIDE
“Pesticide Free” The FDA is responsible for this labelling claim and they have no set definition or regulatory process for using it. The FDA “expects” the term to mean that the food is free from pesticide residue—it does not mean that pesticides were not used at any point in production (cultivation, processing, and storage). Furthermore, no testing is done to confirm there is no pesticide residue, nor is the producer required to submit any documentation. The USDA “organic” label is the only real indicator that something is free from pesticides. See more below!
“Organic” The USDA website clearly defines and sets regulations for what conditions must be met to use the term “Organic”: USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.
Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to
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harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In instances when a grower has to use a synthetic substance to achieve a specific purpose, the substance must first be approved according to criteria that examine its effects on human health and the environment
As for organic meat, regulations require that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.
When it comes to processed, multi-ingredient foods, the USDA organic standards specify additional considerations. Regulations prohibit organically processed foods from containing artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors and require that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients, like enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods. This label is the most trustworthy marketing term as no producer can use it without going through a very thorough certification process. That being said, going through the certification process is extremely expensive and many small farmers who use even beyond “organic” methods cannot afford to obtain the official seal.
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So while this term is very helpful at the store to ensure your family is getting food free from chemicals—it is not a term you should consider mandatory when getting food from a local grower or farmer’s market. Ask your farmer about their practices and you may find you can get produce and meat grown in conditions even better than store bought organic items.
These are currently the most common marketing terms you will see when you visit the grocery store. As you can see, the majority of these terms have no regulated definition and only require a one-time submission of paperwork with no verification. The best way to ensure you and your family are getting the best quality, most nutrient dense foods your budget allows is to find local sources where you can talk to the farmer and learn how your food was raised directly—or, raise your own food! When that isn’t feasible, it is very important to read ingredient labels, look for the “organic” seal as much as possible, and most importantly, maintain an attitude of gratitude for the food you are able to obtain—don’t obsess over perfection.
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