The package is talking. Are you listening?

Free-range (or 免费-roaming) chickens and eggs

This phrase implies that your egg layer has lived its life outdoors, but the government requires only that the animal have "access" to the outside. (That's still better than hens that have been caged 24/7.)

Natural

The USDA applies this claim only to fresh meat that is minimally processed and contains no artificial ingredients or added color. The label must explain why it's natural--no colorants, for example. It's a weak designation, but at least you're better informed.

No added antibiotics

Red meat or poultry labeled with this claim comes from animals raised without the use of antibiotics--unquestionably a plus. When the supergerms take over the planet, these antibiotic overloads may be partly to blame.

No hormones administered

You want to see this certification on beef products. Hogs and poultry are already hormone-免费 by federal law, so those products cannot carry the label. But it's one more reason to put more pig and fowl on your menu.

Organic

Products bearing this claim come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. The term "organic" is not regulated as strictly as it should be, and it's no guarantee that the product doesn't come from, say, Chile (with a frequent-flier carbon footprint), but it's a start.

Pasture-raised, grass-fed beef

Grass-fed animals must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season, and their diet must be 100 percent forage (no grain or grain by-products). This may be better than organic--forage is what cattle are meant to eat.

 

Originally published on: June 1, 2008

 

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