Food Labels (What do they really mean)

Due to growing health and environmental concerns, many people have been asking about the meaning and reliability of food labeling. Although many labels say that foods are natural, organic, etc. some of these labels are not regulated or the regulations are not enforced. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates and defines food labeling as follows:

Natural: Food labeled "natural," according to the USDA definition, does not contain artificial ingredients or preservatives and the ingredients are only minimally processed. However, they may contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and other similar chemicals. Regulations are fairly lenient for foods labeled "natural."

All Natural: The USDA does not define foods labeled "all natural" as any different than those labeled "natural." Foods with this labeling are probably not any different than "natural" foods and may not be regulated as they are not defined by the

Organic: Foods labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95% organically produced ingredients and the other 5% must be approved on the National List provided by the USDA. They cannot be produced with any antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, petroleum or sewage-sludge based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Each organic ingredient must be identified along with the name of the certifying agency.

Free Range/Cage Free: For a product to be labeled "free range" or "cage free" the animals cannot be contained in any way and must be allowed to roam and forage freely over a large area of open land.

This labeling is very minimally regulated. USDA food labeling regulation only requires that the producer be able to demonstrate that the animals are allowed access to the outside and not contained, but applications and certification are not required.

Grass Fed: Food labeled "grass fed" usually includes the label "free range" or "cage free," however, they are not necessarily connected. By definition a "grass fed" animal is one that is raised primarily on ranges rather than in a feedlot, which means that they can be contained and still show this label, as long as they are allowed to graze. The USDA defines "grass fed" as it applies to labeling but does not regulate it in any way.