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Labels can be so confusing. See below for some commonly used terms on food labels and in stores. If you would like a complete handy glossary, please e-mail me @sustainablebrooklynkitchen@gmail.com for a complete template from sustainable table.
What does Natural mean?
A meat or poultry product that is labeled "natural" should not include any artificial flavoring, color, chemical preservatives, additives or artificial or synthetic ingredients. Please know that being "natural" does NOT have any bearing on the way the animal was raised or the food/additives that they were fed. Many people confuse Organic and Natural.
What is Organic?
For something to be labeled "Organic", it's producer and farm where the ingredients come from must meet the USDA's organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using any synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated.
Organic meats and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed without any animal by-products and cannot be treated with hormones or any antibiotics. Importantly, these animals must have access to the outdoors .
Cage Free
These are birds that are raised without cages. What this does not define is whether the birds were raised outdoors or have access to the outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. If you want to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says "pastured" or that says, "pasture-raised" or know the farm your food is coming from.
Grain-Fed
Industrial animals rely on corn and soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. Ruminants, like cows have stomachs that evolved to digest grasses and other forages. As a result, when these animals are fed a diet heavy in grain they often have digestive issues, poor liver function and, in the worst cases their diet can kill them. If you want meats or poultry that was raised on a sustainable diet, look for "pastured" or "grass fed", or again, know your farmers.
Grass Fed
These animals eat grasses from weaning until time of slaughter. Their diet should never be supplemented with grain, animal byproducts, or synthetic hormones. They should never be given antibiotics to promote their growth or to prevent diseases (however, they may be given antibiotics to TREAT a disease.).
Local
Local meats are raised as close to home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm could possibly be your backyard or as far a neighboring state. If you are buying directly from an area farmer, your meat is for sure, local. If you see the label in a store, ask the grocer where the meats were raised.
No Added Hormones
Animals were raised without added growth hormones. By law, hogs and poultry are not legally allowed to be given hormones- so the use of "no hormones" is mere advertising to make the consumer believe they are getting a higher quality product.
No Antibiotic Use
No antibiotics were administered, at all, during the life of the animal. If an animal gets sick, and needs antibiotics, it cannot be sold under this label.
No Meat/Animal By-Products
This label is supposed to indicate that the animals were raised on feed that contained no animal byproducts (beaks, bones, tails, etc.). However, unlike organic labels, this is not verified by any third source.
Pasture-Raised
In general, pasturing is a traditional farm technique where animals are raised outdoors in a humane, ecologically sustainable manner and eat foods that nature intended. Animals are raised on a pasture rather than being fattened up at a feedlot or in a confined, cruel facility.
Sustainable
While the word sustainable does not have a hard and quick definition, truly sustainable foods are raised locally by family farmers who promote the health of their animals, land and their communities. TO be sure this label meets your expectations and your standards, alike, ask your local grocer or farmer for more details about how their animals were raised.
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