WHAT A SUPERMARKET LABEL CAN (AND CAN’T) TELL YOU

“Labels on meat, egg and milk products often mean little to nothing,” Sonia Faruqi writes. This is a deliberate strategy on the part of agribusiness.” Here is a glossary of common labels with her translations for customers concerned about the welfare of the animals they are eating, along with a colour code to indicate the labels’ usefulness. RED: PAY NO ATTENTION

Farm fresh: Meaningless.

Natural: Meaningless.

Family farm: Meaningless. Most family farms are factory farms.

Third-generation farm: Meaningless, as “whether farming is a family tradition says nothing about whether the family farms in a traditional way.”

Free-run chicken/turkey: Redundant, as most broiler chickens and turkeys are not housed in cages.

Grain-fed animal: Usually equivalent to “corn-fed,” which is the standard diet. YELLOW: SOME USEFUL INFORMATION

Raised without hormones: Deceptive if used for chickens, turkeys and pigs because hormones are not generally used in these animals. They are, however, commonly used in dairy cows and beef cattle.

Vegetarian-fed: Means egg-laying hens are not fed slaughter byproducts, but says nothing about their living conditions.

Raised without antibiotics: Helpful, as antibiotics are widely used in factory farms, with animals under extreme stress. But, similarly, this label says little about their living conditions. GREEN: LOOK OUT FOR THESE

Free-run eggs: Hens are not housed in battery cages, but are kept indoors.

Free-range eggs: Hens are not in battery cages and have some level of outdoor access.

Organic milk: Stringent in areas such as pesticides and drugs, but insufficient regarding animal treatment. In Canada, organic dairies are required to give cows 120 days of outdoor access a year, compared to 180 in Australia. Organic dairies are permitted to chain cows by the neck, conduct castrations and perform artificial insemination. Some questions you should ask The best way to ensure you are eating meat, milk and eggs that are produced in humane ways is to call the company on the label, Faruqi suggests. Ask them some questions about animal treatment:

How much space is each animal allotted?

How much time do they spend outdoors?

What mutilations do the farmers perform (castration, tail-docking, de-beaking, declawing)?

Are the animals regularly given antibiotics and other drugs?

Are they confined to cases or crates, or chained to stalls?

Does the farm permit public visits?

“If you do not receive a reply, you will have your reply,” Faruqi writes, adding that “once you find a company you’re comfortable with, you can stay with them.”