Demystifying Common Food Labels
When grocery shopping, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the host of confusing food labels. In addition, many of these labels are quite deceptive. As a result, we decided to put together a list of the most common food labels and what they mean, so that you know what you are buying.
“100% Organic” vs. “Organic” vs. “Made with Organic Ingredients”: If a food label uses the term “organic,” it means that the product must be at least 95% organic. “Made with Organic Ingredients” indicates that at least 70% of the ingredients used to make the product are organic.
“Natural”: If a food is labeled “Natural,” it indicates that the product was “minimally processed” and contains no artificial ingredients or added color. However, there aren’t clear guidelines on what “minimally processed” means, so this food label can be controversial.
“Certified Naturally Grown”: This is a grassroots movement, and it indicates that the foods are produced using organic methods but that the farm isn’t certified organic, an expensive endeavor for small local farms.
“Non-GMO”: According to the NON-GMO Project, “A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.” Products earn a “non-GMO” label if they are produced without being genetically engineered through the use of GMOs.
“Healthy”: If a food is labeled “healthy,” it means that the item must be low in saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. Certain foods must also contain at least 10% of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber.
“Grain-fed” vs. “Grass-fed”: “Grain-fed” means that the animals were raised on a grain diet. If the label says “100% vegetarian diet,” it means that the animals were not given feed containing animal by-products. “Grass-fed” means that the animals were fed their natural diet of grass, as opposed to grain. It also indicates that the animals are not fed animal by-products, synthetic hormones or antibiotics. “Grass-fed” is not only more humane but the “grass-fed” meat is also leaner and lower in calories than grain-fed meat.
“Cage-free” vs. “Pasture-raised” vs. “Free-range”:
“Cage-free” means that the birds are not raised in cages. However, it doesn’t guarantee that the birds were not raised inside in overcrowded conditions.
In order to qualify as “Free-range” and “Certified Humane,” each bird must have a minimum of two square feet of outdoor space. However, it is important to note that fenced cement porches qualify as outdoor space, so it doesn’t mean the bird ever touched grass or dirt.
“Pasture-raised,” the best of these three labels, indicates that the bird was raised on a pasture where it was able to eat grass and other plants.
Note: none of these labels alone indicate that the birds were humanely treated or that the products are antibiotic-free or organic, so it is important to look for other labels that indicate so.
“Antibiotic-free”: As it sounds, “antibiotic-free” means that an animal was not given antibiotics.
“Fair Trade”: When you see a product with the Fair Trade Certified label, it indicates that those involved in making the Fair Trade Certified goods work in safe conditions, protect the environment, and have received a fair wage.