Here’s How to Read Meat, Fish & Poultry Labels

In the 1950s, a trip to the grocery store was simple. You could buy milk, eggs and meat. Fast forward seventy years later, the simple trip is anything but that. With thousands of choices, consumers are barraged with cleverly crafted marketing statements to appeal to their buying preferences.

When it comes to meat, egg, and dairy, you find labels that say “free-range,” “natural,” “certified humane,” “organic,” and “harvested in the USA.” It can be hard to figure out what all of the different labels mean. You ask yourself:

• Are these products better for me?
• Are the animals treated better treated than others?
• Or is this an advertising campaign designed to make me spend more?

Whether or not these labels make sense, they can have a big impact on the products that you choose to purchase. These labels can also have a huge impact for the billions of animals that are raised and slaughtered each year for peoples’ consumption.

Believe it or not, there is no federal law, NOT ONE, that protects how animals are raised on farms.

In 2017, there were 52 billion pounds of meat processed in the U.S. and another 48 billion pounds of chicken processed in the same time…