Ethical Food Practices

Judy Seybold, MS, RDN, LD, CLC
Chief Nutrition Officer

Many consumers care about not only what they eat, but also about the practices of how their food was raised or farmed. They have concerns about animals suffering or injustice that goes into the food system. It could be animal abuse, worker exploitation, health consequences of food processing, and environmental devastation to name a few.

Eating ethically is very personal. It can be very overwhelming to try to eat ethically if you don’t have enough information that can help guide you to the right choices. There are many different food labels that contain information about how the food was grown or processed. However, some labels can be misleading. Below are examples of labels to look for and ask questions about at the store or market where you see them.

Certified Labels

Products that carry the following attributes on the label need to meet specific standards of a certifying entity in order to carry it on their product.

American Grassfed: The American Grassfed Association performs an on-farm inspection and certification is granted if the animals were fed a lifetime diet of 100% forage, raised on pasture, and were never treated with added hormones or antibiotics.

American Humane: Animals raised for dairy, poultry, beef, veal, goat, turkey, and bison products are certified to have been raised in a humane manner. The guidelines ensure that the livestock have access to healthy living conditions, ample and clean food/water, and the staff caring for them do so in a humane manner.

Naturally Grown: Farmers don’t use pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or GMOs. This is similar to the National Organic Program of the USDA, but Certified Naturally Grown relies on peer inspections, transparency, and direct relationships instead of oversight from a government agency.

Non-GMO: This verification by the Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization that provides the only third-party labeling program in North America that identifies products grown without using genetic engineering. Products are verified that the process they go through from seed to shelf is produced according to their rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance.

Organic: USDA’s National Organic Program regulates labeling requirements for organic agricultural products such as produce, dairy, meat, processed foods, condiments, and beverages, and how they are labeled. Food products labeled with a seal USDA “organic” must contain at least 95% organic ingredients with no synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, biotechnology, synthetic ingredients, or irradiation used in production or processing. Products made with ingredients that are organic can label that as part of the product description.

Non-Certified Labels

Farmers and processors report information to support the claim that their products were raised in compliance with the set forth standards. There is no third-party testing or certification to verify compliance.

Hormone-Free/RGBH-Free: Cows are not injected with any artificial growth hormone, such as rBGH. This label also applies to chicken and beef products where the animal was raised without steroids or growth hormone. The USDA already prohibits giving hormones to chickens, so the label for chickens is essentially meaningless since they are already raised hormone-free.

Raised Without Antibiotics: This label states that chicken, pigs, and cattle are raised free of antibiotics. A common practice is to give them low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and compensate for overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions.

GE-Free/Non-GMO: Companies understand that this is a concern for their consumers, so they have taken the initiative to label their products non-GMO or GE-free. The companies require certification or affidavits from farmers that the materials were not genetically modified or are free from genetic engineering.

No Certification, Testing or Standards

The following attributes are not certified or tested by any third-party regulatory agency prior to being put on the label. They lack a set of standards, so inquire about each individual product and the claim that is being made.

All Natural: Consumers may get the sense that something labeled all-natural is good for you. But there is no universal standard or definition for this claim, so it can be very misleading. The only regulated definition for "natural" pertains to meat and poultry and means that there are no artificial ingredients or added color, and the product is minimally processed.

Free-Range: Free-range poultry is defined by the US Department of Agriculture as birds that have been allowed to access the outside and don’t live in cages. The producer must demonstrate this to the agency.

Work with a registered dietitian to help you understand what food choices are best for you and to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs and that your food choices align with your ethics.

Shop Sifter for products that have been identified by the manufacturer as:

Grassfed
Raised Without Hormones
Humanely Raised
Non-GMO
Organic

Additional Resources

American Grassfed Association
American Humane
Certified Naturally Grown
Health Claims on Food Labels: What's True, What Isn't
Farm Aid: Food Labels Explained
Non-GMO Project
USDA National Organic Program
USDA Meat and Poultry Labeling