http://www.care2.com/greenliving/misleading-food-labels.html
Misleading Food Labels
Some labels tell very little about the product or they try to hype something that is already required by law. Food companies use these labels to convince consumers to spend more for products that are essentially the same as their competition.
“Raised without added Hormones” in PORK or POULTRY. Federal law prohibits the use of hormones for hogs and poultry, so the use of hormone-free labels on pork and poultry products intentionally misleads consumers by claiming that the product is different and therefore worthy of a higher price.
According to USDA, “Natural” meat and poultry products cannot contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives or other artificial ingredients, and they should be minimally processed. However, “Natural” does not tell us how the animals were raised, what they were fed, if antibiotics or hormones were used, or other aspects of production that consumers might logically expect from something labeled “natural.”
Another variation that is also misleading is “Naturally Raised.” As of early 2008, the USDA was finishing up standards for this claim that were so weak that the label could allow consumers to be mislead. The USDA proposal for naturally raised requires three things: that the animal be given no growth promoters, no antibiotics, and no food containing animal by-products. Missing from the requirements is any mention of animal welfare–whether animals are confined in factory farms, whether gestation crates or other cruel practices are used, and whether any environmental or conservation issues are addressed on the farm.
The label “Fresh” is used on poultry to indicate that the meat was not cooled below 26 degrees Fahrenheit (six degrees below freezing). Poultry does not have to be labeled as “frozen” until it reaches zero degrees. USDA meat inspectors monitor the use of this label to ensure the standards are met. But this can be misleading to customers who presume that “fresh” implies that meat has not been frozen, processed or preserved in any way. The USDA does not define or regulate the use of this label on any other type of meat or dairy products.
“Free Range” is a label regulated by USDA only for poultry produced for meat (not eggs). The label can be used if the animal had some access to the outdoors each day for some unspecified period of time (it could be just a few minutes). It does not assure that the animal ever actually went outdoors to roam freely. “Free range” is not regulated for pigs, cattle or egg-producing chickens.
Food & Water Watch is an organization dedicated to the belief that the public should be able to count on our government to oversee and protect the quality and safety of food and water. For more information, go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
More from Mel, selected from Food & Water Watch (17 articles available)
related stories
-
(3 comments)
-
(11 comments)
-
(16 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
12 comments
add your comment »So we know that unfortunaely the labels you mentioned in the article are virtually meaningless. Are there any labels that DO have meaning? Is there a way of checking on specific brands to find out if their labeling is genuine? I don't eat much meat, but I do consume a lot of dairy products, and I'd like to know what the conditions are of the animals providing my food.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Well that is really disheartening. I don't eat meat, but I do purchase eggs for baking and things like that. I always buy the ones that say "cage free". I wonder if this is similar to the "free range" thing and it's really not cage free?? :( I'm going to have to find a local farmer or something down here in GA. When I lived in RI I used to buy from a friend who had a farm with a bunch of truly free-range chickens. Those eggs were AMAZING. I miss those!!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Don't be fooled by Trader Joe's labeling. Across the board they stretch the truth with their labeling. And they break ALL the rules when it comes to supplying fish from sustainable fisheries, including supplying mislabeled and endangered fish. How do I know? I worked there and tracked their products. You are what you eat and in the end it pays to buy local or from known sources even if it costs alittle more up front. In the end you will be healthier.
.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I no longer eat meat or eggs. I buy most of my foods at Trader Joe's (California) and Certified Organic labels can be found throughout the store. They cost only pennies more than the uncertified, if there is any price difference at all. Is your health worth 5 or 50 cents more? If we, as consumers, vote with informed and intelligent choices, we can put farm factories out of business.
I don't consider these labels as misleading as much as I consider them and the conglomerates behind them Frauds.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I'd never buy meat or eggs from a grocery store. Those places stink if they're not bleached and disinfected constantly. I buy eggs directly from a farm. Fresh eggs last a long time so I buy 3 or 4 dozen at once and they are about 30% cheaper than in the store. I can see the chickens in a field of grass and feel good about the eggs, knowing they are not running around in pen full of a million other chickens on their own excrement with their beaks and wings cut off so they don't fight and kill each other. That's what free-run chickens are! It's inhumane.
We rarely eat meat but what I buy is all local and organic. I'm sure if I lived in a big city I'd have to go vegan. I mainly eat fruit and veggies and eggs. Meat is becoming a rarity in our home.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I don't know about anyone else's free range birds, but the ones we buy from our neighbor's, (Amish), are the healthiest chickens we've ever seen and bought! They are a "few" cents more per pound, but ALSO do NOT have a lot of that yellow disgusting fat you see on store-bought chicken-it's been so long since the consumer has seen what REAL chickens are suppossed to look like, that they think all that yellow fat is good...It's not! The meat is tender and juicy, and has real taste to it, and the eggs are definitly a whole lot better tasting than store-bought ever thought of being-and yes, you CAN taste the difference...so for us, it IS worth a few cents more...after all, isn't Free Range the way chickens and the other animals started out? LOL ; )
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Also, calling artificial breast milk (infant formula) "closest to breast milk" is a lie. It's still just cow's milk with some corn syrup and corn oil added, the butter fat removed, and a few synthetic vitamins and minerals added. Sure, they add artificial DHA and ARA to it, but that has not been proven to make it closer to human breast milk.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
The USDA and FDA are far more than just geared to preserving the factory farming industries they are former employees of the Corporations, such as Monsanto, and alternate between working for the Corporations and being hired by the government in positions in the USDA, FDA, Agricultural Departments and the WTO. Think there are only a few people working these revolving doors? Michael Taylor, William D. Ruckelshaus, Linda J. Fisher, Lidia Watrud,David W. Beler, Larry Zeph and more have all worked for both Monsanto Corporation, U.S., State and Federal as well as Global Food Safety Agencies, Regulatory Authorities and even Homeland Security Bio-terrorism Division. Check this Care2 post: http://www.care2.com/news/go/1155574 (Monsanto-Their Connections-including Research on Their Supporters/Connections) by Janet S. If you click on "visit site" you can see the incredible list of people and the connections. These are the same people that block and manipulate labeling regulations, both state and federal, to keep the truth hidden and are working hard to take away our freedom to choose what we ingest. Do a Care2 search for Michael Taylor you will find a wealth of info. we all need to know. Labels,misleading and incomplete,or lack of labeling, they are the tip of the iceberg.The USDA recently proposed to reverse a long standing regulation against adding water to packaged meats,increases weight,bad for food safety. Why it was illegal for so long.Think they'll label water added?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Maybe the lies and manipulation will make the meat consumers stop and think about what they are eating. Like I always say, the USDA is the same agency who licenses puppy mills. Honestly, can they be trusted???
As long as the labels sound 'good' many consumers will believe it is a better product and be willing to pay more. The cage free hens are just as crammed in as the caged hens and have very little room to move around.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Free range eggs cost more to produce than cage eggs mainly because more space is needed per chicken. This means more labour in checking chickens and collecting eggs. And production is comparitively less on the same amount of land than with a caged system, so less return on investment. Free range chickens may also be fed a different diet which costs more, especially if it is organic. Free range also has the highest mortality rates so there is more lost production.
Free range is considered a less efficient way of producing eggs and costs more to both the producer and consumer as a result. Farmers sell their free range eggs at a higher price to cover these costs. However, I would guess that the majority of the price difference would be going to the retailer as profit because they know people are willing to pay more for a free range product. You might not agree with what I've just said, but that is why they cost more.
And they really do need to sort these labels out, we have the same issues in Australia. It is very misleading, I would go as far as saying it is dishonest.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: