Humane food labels

Every time I have to buy eggs at a grocery store, I read the labels on each of the cartons and feel alternately puzzled and overwhelmed by the variety of claims made by these producers. I know what I want: eggs that come from chickens who have led healthy, chemical-free lives, that were able to be chickens in a chicken yard and run around and peck their chickens' hearts out, eating food that chickens were meant to eat, laying eggs when they want and where they want, just like the chickens we used to raise at my dad's house. Sadly, labels such as "free range" and "cage free" don't offer much insight into the chickens' lives, because they are unregulated terms that have been adopted unscrupulously in some cases.

Have you ever faced this same problem of trying to decide which eggs are "best," from a humane-treatment standpoint? If so, then you might benefit from this cheat sheet, courtesy of the World Society for the Protection of Animals. In addition to demystifying the claims on egg cartons, this guide gives advice on which poultry, beef and pork products to buy to ensure that your food dollars support farms that raise animals in a humane and sustainable manner. (My one suggestion, aside from seeking out the "best" options below, is to choose locally-raised products when possible.)

"Humane Food Labels"
(adapted from the WSPA)

GOOD:

* These labels cover only one aspect of animal care and a third party does not verify compliance with the standards.

• “Cage free” (eggs)
• “Free range” (eggs, chicken, duck, goose, turkey)
• “Grass fed” (dairy, beef, lamb)

BETTER
* These labels feature a higher level of animal welfare, but the standards are either not verified by a third party or cover only a limited aspect of animal care.

• “Free range” (beef, bison, lamb, pork)
• “Pasture raised” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork)
• “USDA organic” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork)

BEST
* These labels cover multiple aspects of animal care and an independent third party verifies compliance with the standards.

• “American Humane Certified” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
• “Animal Welfare Approved” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
• “Certified Humane” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)

NOT NECESSARILY HUMANE

• “No antibiotics used” / “No hormones administered” – The government does not conduct testing to verify these claims. Hormones are prohibited in the raising of poultry, so this labeling claim is meaningless when used on chicken and turkey products. The “no antibiotics used” label suggests the animal wasn’t raised on a factory farm but by itself is not an indicator of high animal welfare.
• “Natural” – This label currently has no relevance to animal welfare whatsoever. It merely indicates that the product was minimally processed and contains no dyes or preservatives. WSPA has recommended that this claim be re-named “minimally processed.”
• “Naturally raised” – The USDA has proposed but not finalized a definition for this claim. Producers are using this label to indicate that the animal was raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones and had been given only vegetarian feed. WSPA is opposing the proposed standard because it does not require freedom of movement and access to fresh air and sunlight.