Know Your Labels
Food labels can be enormously helpful, but sometimes all those terms can be confusing. Some terms are regulated and some are not. It’s important to learn what they mean so you can make informed decisions about what foods you buy.
regulated terms
Certified-Organic
These are foods and products produced without most conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. For a food product to be labeled “organic,” 95% of the ingredients must be organic. Meat, dairy, and eggs labeled organic have to come from animals who were fed only organic foods and were given no antibiotics. Artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors are also prohibited. GMO crops cannot be labeled “organic.”
Cage-Free
Cage-free sounds great, but it only means that the chicken has at least 1 sq. ft. of roaming space. It doesn’t regulate their feed or how often they can roam.
Free Range
Chickens who are free range have access to the great outdoors. However, the amount of time they spend outside is not regulated.
Grass-Fed
These animals both roam the pastures as they please and are fed only grass in the summer and hay in the winter.
Pasture-Raised
If your meat is marked “pastured” or “pasture-raised” it means they can go outside into the pasture all year long. They may be given grain feed as well as grass.
Non-GMO
Genetically Engineered crops are common for corn, soybeans, alfalfa, canola, and some other foods. If you want to avoid them, buy foods labeled Non-GMO.
No added hormones
This label means that no extra hormones, including artificial growth hormones, have been given to the animal.
Farmed
Farmed seafood is grown inside tanks, pens, or in factories where their growth and movement is controlled.
Wild-Caught
Wild-caught means that the fish or seafood was caught the old fashioned way, by a fisherman, in their natural habitat.
Non-Regulated Terms
There are no guidelines or regulations for these terms. Not everyone who uses them is attempting a marketing ploy, but you should use common sense and discernment when you see products using the following terms.
Natural
The word natural is wholly unregulated, and a case can be made for anything being “natural.” Not all products labeled “natural” are trying to scam you, but you should still check out the ingredients to be sure you know what you’re buying.
GMO-Free
GMO-free is not the same thing as non-GMO. It’s unregulated and, due to testing limitations, it’s challenging to be certain no trace amounts of GMO ingredients have found their way into the product.
Local
Since the word “local” is relative, this claim is hard to regulate. Make sure you know what someone means by local. As for the Co-op, when we say “local” we mean it was made/grown in Maine.
Non-Toxic
The fact is, just because something isn’t linked to toxic responses doesn’t make it healthy. Be discerning with your purchases and read the ingredients.