Free range and other meat and poultry terms

From the Mayo Clinic article

“Free range,” “natural” and “antibiotic-free” are among the common terms on meat, poultry and egg packages today. Do these terms guide your purchases either because of concerns about food quality or animal welfare? Then you should know that terms such as free range, antibiotic-free, natural and others may not actually mean what you think they do. In some cases, terms you find on packages are regulated under federal organic rules, while others are standard regardless of organic status. Other terms aren’t regulated at all, and some may have no relevance to animal welfare even if they sound like they do. Take a closer look.

The article goes on to define terms as antibiotic-free, cage-free, certified humane, chemical free, free-range or free roaming, grain fed, grass fed, hormone free, naturally raised, pasture raised, vegetarian fed

Some related Mayo Clinic articles

• What is BPA? Should I be worried about it?
• Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables
• Nutrition labels: Deciphering health claims
• Fast food: 5 ways to healthier meals
• Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?
• Sodium nitrate in meat: Heart disease risk factor?
• Nutrition rating system: What’s behind the new food labels?

A sampling of organic food Web sites (via Internet Public Library)

• National Organic Program (US Department of Agriculture)

Information about the organic standards program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Explains the “USDA Organic” labels found on food and beverage packaging, marketing phrases (such as “organic,” which “must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt)”), news and updates, and material for producers and retailers.

• Organic Center

This advocacy site for organic farming features articles and reports on subjects such as pesticides in foods, nutritional quality, antioxidants, and food safety. Also find links to related sites. From an organization whose mission is “to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.”

• Organic Consumers Association

A “national consumer advocacy organization committed to educating, uniting, and organizing organic consumers. We will actively work to protect the integrity of organic food, and dramatically increase its accessibility to the point where sustainable agriculture becomes the dominant form of food and fiber production in the US and across the world.” Provides news, calendar of events, book reviews, links to other resources.