Labeling the Grocery Store

By: Rachel Tanis

Wandering through the produce aisle of my local grocer recently, I was surprised by the number of labels that are found on fresh fruit. An orange was labeled “certified organic,” while a papaya read “rainforest alliance.” A few rows over a sign hung over chocolate bars reading “made with fair trade certified cacao beans.” I wondered what all of this meant. What happened to the simpler labels like “use by Friday” or “made with fresh ingredients?” I thought that things were really getting sophisticated a few years back when I had to choose between regular eggs and those from free-range chickens. But, with all of these new labels popping up all over the grocery store, I thought that it was worth investigating the new lingo. Here’s what I found:

“Certified Organic” – means that the item was grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and also on land that was free from such chemicals for at least the last three prior years. If you are looking to save money these days, choose which items you will purchase in their organic state, and which you will buy without the label. Since organic items tend to be pricier, purchase produce that you consume the skin on (apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries) in the organic versions. Those that you peel the skin off of (like oranges and bananas) are less likely to have been directly affected by chemicals.

“Rainforest Alliance” – this group focuses on maintaining worker rights and welfare, forest sustainability and managing how farms manage their crops. This includes working with farms to ensure that they grow crops in such a way that they are careful to preserve the rainforest and its natural inhabitants.

“Fair Trade” – when applying this statement to a chocolate bar, you can be certain that your chocolate bar is making a political statement. Cacao beans purchased from “fair trade” farmers are paid at least .10 cents more than the current market rate. This means that the profits are to be invested in the farmer’s community through things like education and health care initiatives. The “fair trade” stamp also means that certain environmental standards are also met, which are similar to those followed by farms which are certified organic.

“Free Range” – by now, we are probably all familiar with this term. Legally speaking, only poultry can be certified “free range” by the USDA. However, even among free range poultry, the definition remains wide. Free range birds must be allowed outside to graze and feed during all of their life cycles, and are not to be fenced-in, or pastured, so that they are kept from eating a variety of plants and seeds. This is tricky though, because some farmers may allow their chickens to graze for a while before returning them to a pen, while others may never cage their birds. Either way, a free range farm must be certified by the USDA and is one certain way to ensure that your meal is well-rounded. Free range birds consume different plants and seeds which lead to a different flavor. Also, some argue that their muscle-to-fat ratio is different because of all of the additional roaming.

“Farm Raised” – those we are concerned with free range issues will likely raise their brows at “farm raised” game. Farm-raised game and fish are raised within pens so that they can be easily managed. Their diets are carefully prepared, often with limited exposure to the naturally-occurring foods that they would eat in their native environments. In addition, farm raised animals can be crowded which may raise toxin levels in their systems. However, let it be said that the USDA has strict rules on the amount of toxins (such as mercury found in fish, for example) permit able. So, while there may be no real health danger from consuming farm raised animals, you’re taste buds may prefer animals with a more natural appetite.

“Wild Caught” – we often see this label on fish, such as salmon. “Wild caught” means that the fish was not raised on a fish farm where farmers are sure to know exactly how many fish are swimming in each holding area, since it is all regulated by the USDA. Some salmon farms occur in the wild, but they are not considered “wild caught.” These “wild” salmon farms are man-made farms created in the ocean to raise many fish under more natural circumstances. Thousands of salmon unnaturally captured in the same ocean holding tank has destructive consequences on the environment around it. Fish excrements, found in abundance as they are in ocean farms, have been known to destroy wildlife and sea beds. Be happy though knowing that “wild caught” fish are actually caught out in the deep blue where the fish have lived a natural life.

Happy Eating!