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Food labels that make the grade Below are food labels that WSPA rate as ‘A Good Start,' ‘Even Better' and ‘The Best Options' in terms of their impact on the lives of animals raised for food.
A GOOD start
“Cage free” (eggs)
May be placed on eggs or egg products that have come from hens who never have been confined to a cage and who have had unlimited access to food, water, and the freedom to roam. “Cage free” does not have the same meaning as “free range” or “pastured raised,” however, and can refer to birds who have lived their entire lives confined to a building or one room of a building. In fact, the space per hen may not be that much more than for cage birds, but generally the welfare of cage-free hens is superior to those kept in cages. “Free range” (eggs, chicken, goose, duck, turkey)
When used on poultry and eggs means that the bird was allowed access to the outside for a significant portion of his/her life. However, some free-range birds may be housed in open-air barns with limited exits to the outside that are left open for only a short period each day. In other free range situations the birds may spend a large proportion of their day outdoors and are brought in only at night or bad weather. There is no way of telling which is the case without visiting the farm. Because meat birds are slaughtered at such a young age (6-7 weeks), many “free range” birds raised during winter months never go outdoors. “Grass fed” (dairy, beef, lamb)
USDA currently defines “grass fed” as the feeding of livestock on grass, pasture, or forage throughout their lives with only limited grain feeding allowed during periods of bad weather. The government is proposing to clarify the definition to mean the feeding of grasses as at least 99% of the animal's diet. However, the term applies to diet only and is not synonymous with “free range” or “pastured raised.” It is possible that an animal can be kept in confinement and the meat labeled as “grass fed.”
Even BETTER “Free range” (beef, bison, pork, lamb)
When used with cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs, “free range” means the animals were given continuous, free access to pasture for a significant portion of their lives and were never confined to a feedlot. Therefore, “free range” generally has more meaning in terms of animal welfare when applied to meat than when applied to eggs or poultry. However, unlike third party certification programs (such as USDA Organic, Certified Humane, Free Farmed Certified) the USDA does not verify on-farm compliance with the government's free range standard.  “Pasture raised” (dairy, eggs, chicken, goose, duck, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork)
The terms “pasture raised” and “pasture grown” are similar in meaning to “free range” when used to describe the raising of cattle, sheep, and pigs. However, the terms have more significance when used with hens and meat birds. “Pastured raised” indicates that the meat or eggs came from birds who were provided genuine access to both the outdoors and natural vegetation. Many pasture operations use mobile shelters with perimeter fencing that are located in a pastured area and moved periodically to protect the plant growth and provide the birds with a continuous source of seeds.
“USDA Organic” (dairy, eggs, chicken, goose, duck, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork)
Currently the only recognized organic program in the U.S. The program's standards have been written to apply to all farm animals and don't address many animal care issues such as weaning, physical alterations like tail docking, minimum space allowances, handling, transport, or slaughter. However, the “USDA Organic” label does require animals have access to the outdoors and be provided with fresh air, sunlight, and freedom of movement. As a result, prolonged intensive confinement is probably rare under the label; however, some large producers have gotten away with keeping hens indoors and not providing dairy cows with access to pasture by exploiting loopholes in the Organic program.
The BEST options "Certified Humane" (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, goat, pork)
A humane food certification program administered by Humane Farm Animal Care and endorsed by leading animal advocacy organizations including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Species-specific standards require a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, and that animals be raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space and the ability to engage in natural behaviors. While certain species of animals (poultry and pigs) are not required to have access to the outdoors, the program requires that indoor housing systems for these animals adhere to strict air quality and lighting standards in addition to those that meet the animals’ behavioral and physiological needs.
 “American Humane Certified” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
The first humane food certification program in the U.S. Free Farmed is administered as an in-house program of the American Humane Association. Its auditing process and standards are similar to those of Certified Humane. The program has attracted some large producers that raise a majority of their animals under intensive “factory-farming” conditions. As with Certified Humane, certain species of animals (pigs, meat chickens, laying hens) raised under the Free Farmed program may not be provided with the opportunity to go outside.
“Animal Welfare Approved” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
The newest humane food certification program is administered by the Animal Welfare Institute. This program currently has the most stringent animal welfare standards and includes certain animals not covered by other programs, such as rabbits and ducks. Animal Welfare Approved requires that all animals have regular access to the outdoors and prohibits physical mutilations like debeaking of hens and tail docking of pigs. This program also requires that producers be family farmers and does not allow producers that have dual humane and factory-farming operations to participate.
OTHER LABELS “No antibiotics used”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not allow the use of “antibiotic free” labels on meat products because technology cannot verify that animals were never given antibiotics. USDA does however allow producers to label meats as “no antibiotics used” or “no detectable antibiotic residue,” but it is the producer and not the government that is doing the testing for residue. Producers are required to supply documentation that animals have not received antibiotics and whether they have been treated for illness. Antibiotic use is associated with intensive confinement, so the “no antibiotics used” label suggests, but does not guarantee, that the animal wasn't raised in a factory farm setting.  “No hormones administered”
A “hormone free” label cannot be used on meat or dairy products, as all animals produce hormones. Since hormones are prohibited in the raising of poultry, “no hormones administered” cannot be used on poultry products unless accompanied by a statement indicating that hormone use is prohibited by federal law. “No hormones administered” or “no hormones added” labels are allowed for the labeling of beef products and generally indicate that the steer or heifer was not confined to a feedlot. As with antibiotics, the government does not test for the presence of hormones to verify accuracy of the claim.
“Humanely raised”
A term not recognized by the USDA for the labeling of animal products. Any humane claim must be accompanied by an explanation of what is meant by the term. An exception is made for products that are marketed under a third-party certification program. For example, “Certified Humane” and “Free Farmed Certified” are USDA-approved labels that do not require an additional explanation. USDA does not verify on-farm compliance with “humanely raised” claims, but third-party certification programs using the label must demonstrate how they verify compliance with their standards. “Natural”
Unquestionably the most misleading and misunderstood food label. The term applies only to products that have been minimally processed and indicates that the product contains no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives. “No antibiotics used” and “no hormones administered” claims must be made separately from the “natural” label. In fact, meat from animals fed antibiotics or hormones may be labeled “natural” as long as no artificial ingredients or preservatives were added to the final product. “Natural” does not refer to the way the animal was raised, fed, or handled. "Naturally raised"
Producers and retailers are using this claim to indicate meat from animals who have not received antibiotics or hormones and have been fed only a vegetarian diet. This claim does not specifically address animal care and does not require freedom of movement and access to fresh air and sunlight. “United Egg Producers Certified”
A third-party certification program developed by the egg industry for the care of egg-laying hens to which about 80% of U.S. producers belong. Unfortunately, the program fails to provide even a minimum level of animal welfare. It allows hens to spend their entire lives crammed into small cages without any access to the outdoors for exercise, litter for dust bathing, or boxes for nesting. The standards also allow for the routine use of antibiotics and permit cutting the beaks off of birds (de-beaking) without pain relief. “Animal Compassionate”
A farm animal quality standards program of Whole Foods Market. Basic standards include no antibiotics or hormones, no intensive confinement, and limited physical alterations. Producers interested in using its “Animal Compassionate” label must meet stringent species-specific requirements (similar to those of the Animal Welfare Approved program). Whole Foods will eventually commission third party audits of farms/ranches and slaughtering facilities in order to apply a rating between 1 and 5 to all fresh meat and poultry sold by the store, where a rating of 1 indicates compliance with baseline standards and 5 signifies the “Animal Compassionate Gold Standard.” Back to humane food choices page>> | |