What should consumers look for on a food label to learn about how the animals were raised?
Unfortunately there’s not one single food label that provides an assurance to consumers that the animals used to produce the product were raised and handled according to humane standards. Currently several labels relating to animal welfare appear on food labels, including “cage free” (eggs only), “grass fed,” “free range,” “pasture raised,” Certified Organic,” “Certified Humane,” “American Humane Certified,” and “Animal Welfare Approved.” In addition, sometime in 2008 Whole Foods Market will launch an “Animal Compassionate” label. While all the previously listed labels indicate some level of animal welfare, the label term “natural” has no relevance to animal welfare.
