THE WORDS ON BIRDS

There are so many claims on product labels and packaged chicken is no exception. So what do all those terms mean? Here’s how to better understand your choices at the meat counter.

Free-Range Chickens are allowed access to the outside for part of the day. This is not a legally regulated term, so different farms have different standards.

Free-Run Free-run differs from free-range in that chickens don’t necessarily require access to the outside, but their movement in the barn is not restricted. In Canada, all chickens raised for meat are free-run.

Grain-Fed All chicken raised in Canada is required to be given a feed that is more than 85 percent grain, so this term is often just used for marketing purposes. However, some brands will mention special or specific grains.

Halal This label refers to specific content and production conditions, indicating the food meets the dietary requirements of Islamic law.

Kosher This label refers to content and production conditions that indicate the food meets the dietary requirements of Jewish law.

Organic Chicken labelled as organic adheres to specific standards laid out both federally and provincially. In general, organic means chickens have been raised on certified organic feed that contains no animal by-products or antibiotics, and any supplements have been approved by a certification body.

Raised Without Antibiotics This label means the chicken was not treated with antibiotics in any way.