Free-Range, Grass-Fed, What-The??
An overview of food labels and classifications in the grocery store so you can make your own decisions.
Have you bought eggs recently? How are this many types of EGGS?
It seems like there are more and more terms being added to the zeitgeist and the signs in the grocery store. Combine that with the information and opinions online and doing your weekly shop can start to feel like a lot of mixed signals, similar to the image below.
In this post you’ll find common labels and their definitions, so you can decide what makes the most sense for you, or at the very least stop clogging up the egg fridge.
Note: There is so much more that can be said on this topic, especially from the sustainability, accessibility, and equality perspectives. Maybe another time we’ll go there but the focus today is on the labels and definitions, why they matter, and what to think about in your purchasing decisions.
Those Letter Agencies
Okay, just real quick, it’s important to know the agencies involved in labeling our food and setting the rules and guidelines about what’s permitted and what’s not. Here is a very light overview:
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations
An agency within the UN focused on ending hunger, improving food security and nutrition. Work done on the various topics addressed by the FAO trickles down to individual countries’ regulations and programs.
WHO: World Health Organization, United Nations
The WHO responds to global health emergencies and makes efforts to expand universal health coverage so everyone is able to attain the highest level of health. This agency is less concerned with food specifically, but we encounter them when discussing antibiotic use in animals, as one example.
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
The USDA develops and executes federal laws related to farming, agriculture, forestry, and food.
Food safety and recalls fall under the oversight of the USDA. Within the USDA, The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for meat, livestock, poultry, egg products and their proper labeling.
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
The FDA is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. This organization is responsible for reviewing and approving drugs, biological products, medical devices, cosmetics, tobacco products, and products that emit radiation.
Additionally, the FDA governs over some food products such as supplements, bottled water, food additives, infant formula, and other food products - there is overlap with the USDA.
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
The agency concerned with the natural environment and protecting human health.
The EPA regulates pesticide use during the growing and processing of crops, as well as how much can remain on produce in the grocery store. Additionally, drinking water through municipal water supplies is included in the EPA purview.
Organic & Natural
Organic: certification reflecting farming practices and methods
Organic certification is handled by the USDA and can be applied to crops, livestock, and processed products.
In order to be awarded the certification, the farm or processing facility must meet requirements which include: soil quality, prohibiting use of certain solvents, fertilizers, preservatives, pesticides, etc., and animal raising practices including what animals are fed.
The “opposite” of organic farming and food manufacturing is referred to as conventional. Conventional food (produce, animal products, etc) is grown according to widely accepted practices and with the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers which are often synthetic but maximize yield and efficiency. GMOs cannot be organic.
GMO: Genetically Modified Organisms
DNA is modified in a lab setting and the resulting crops are engineered for a specific purpose, such as larger yields or resistance to pesticides (if pesticides are sprayed on the entire field, engineered crops aren’t affected but weeds and pests are). In the U.S. most corn, canola, cotton and soy crops are GMO, and many of these crops are used to feed animals.
There is a requirement for food manufacturers and retailers to disclose when the food or ingredients in their products are bioengineered (image example below) and the USDA maintains a list of bioengineered foods available throughout the world.
All Natural: No Artificial Ingredients
All-natural foods are minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. There is no regulation or certification for this term and there is no allusion to growing or farming methods involved. GMO crops cannot be all-natural, but conventionally grown crops could be.
🍎 Why does it matter? All of this essentially boils down to how much chemical exposure we get through our food, whether we eat it directly or we’re eating something that was exposed to pesticides in its food. There are regulations in place for how much pesticide residue can be left on food in the grocery stores but some tests show higher levels than what is considered safe.
According to an article in Consumer Reports, studies link pesticide exposure to cardiovascular disease, ADHD in children, higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and endocrine disruption which may lead to some cancers or other health problems.
🍏 What to do? Thoroughly wash your produce when you bring it home using a scrub brush or vinegar soak/rinse (1 part white vinegar, 3 parts water, soak for 10 min then rinse thoroughly).
🍏 You may have heard of the clean fifteen and dirty dozen. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces a list annually of which produce contains the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue. The ‘dirty dozen’ is most contaminated and it’s recommended to buy organic. The ‘clean fifteen’ ranks the lowest and is considered safe to buy conventional. You can always find the current list on the EWG website. I made a quick reference sheet you can save to your phone —> download it here.
🍏 Obtaining organic classification can be a long process and expensive to maintain. Some smaller farms might not have the label though their practices align with the organic standards. When you’re shopping small, don’t let the lack of a label lead you away from your local farmers! Ask them about their farming and agriculture practices instead.
Animal Products
Antibiotic Free/No Antibiotics: Animals were raised without the use of antibiotics, sufficient documentation must be provided to verify the claim.
Cage-Free: For egg producing hens, cages are prohibited but no other specifications on the environment or practices are provided.
Free-Range: Animals must have access to the outdoors, specifics vary.
(Poultry) Fresh: The poultry or cuts have never been frozen or below 26 degrees F.
Grass-Fed: Cows were fed grass but no specific regulations are in place around how much of the diet must come from pasture or for how long. This label permits feeding with grain, usually finishing with grain. This is the conventional beef approach.
Grass-Finished: 100% grass fed for the entire life of the animal. No grain feeding is permitted. Grass-finished beef is also always pasture-raised.
Hormone-Free/No Hormones Added: Animals were raised without the use of hormones, sufficient documentation must be provided to verify the claim.
Organic: Building on the definition above, the organic label in animal products means that animal was fed a 100% organic diet. There are also specifications about outdoor access and pasture feeding. Organically raised animals cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics.
Pasture-Raised: This refers to the environment of the animals and access to pasture. Pasture-raised beef may be grain or grass finished.
(Fish) Farm-Raised: The fish spawn and live their entire life in the fish farm.
(Fish) Wild-Caught: Spawn on a fish farm but returned to the wild at some point in the life cycle, caught in the wild.
(Fish) Wild: 100% wild, spawn naturally in the wild, full life in the wild, caught in the wild.
🍎 Why does it matter? This section of labels primarily deals with identifying animal products treated with antibiotics or hormones and the content of their diets. That old adage can be expanded from “you are what you eat” to “you are what your food ate.”
Antibiotics and hormones are used for growth promotion and disease control among sometimes crowded or unsanitary conditions. This raises concerns about unwanted effects in humans ranging from a variety of diseases and disorders, to difficulty treating infection due to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In fact, the WHO recommends reduction of antibiotic use in animals to preserve their effectiveness at treating disease in humans.
The animal’s diet influences the nutritional value of meat, poultry, and eggs. For example, grass-finished beef contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
🍏 What to do? Decide what is important to you. Knowing what the labels mean will allow you to make informed decisions at the store.
🍏 If you’re interested in further research and a list of labels you can trust, check out the certifications recommended by the ASPCA. They also take into account humane treatment of animals in addition to antibiotic and hormone use.
I hope scratching the surface here helps make sense of the labels and terminology tossed around in the grocery stores and broader world so you can make the best decisions for you and your family. If you have questions or comments, I’m all ears.
Thank you for reading!
Sources:
Government Websites: epa.gov, fda.gov, usda.gov, fao.org, who.int
https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be
https://www.fdli.org/2021/04/new-bioengineered-aka-gm-food-disclosure-law-useful-information-or-consumer-confusion/
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/stop-eating-pesticides-a1094738355/
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Labeling-Policy-Book.pdf
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/AAEC/AAEC-167/AAEC-167.html
https://discover.grasslandbeef.com/blog/grass-fed-vs-grass-finished-beef/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9047141/
https://www.who.int/news/item/07-11-2017-stop-using-antibiotics-in-healthy-animals-to-prevent-the-spread-of-antibiotic-resistance
