By Isabel Limao
The food industry is dominated by big businesses with the financial resources to lobby the government. Because of this some people feel like it is hard to make change when it comes to issues such as the environment, animal rights, and other food production issues. One way people can demonstrate their beliefs is by buying food that has been made in a way that is better for the environment and animals. When you buy food created in a way that aligns with your beliefs it is like casting a vote in favor of these better methods. Usually when people look to buy food produced a certain way, they look at the labels. But what if those labels weren’t telling you the whole story?
The term “free range” implies that the animals that produced the product, usually chickens or cows, had access to outdoor space on which they could wander freely for long periods of time. However this is often far from the truth. There is no real verification process for companies wishing to label their products free range, meaning many companies abuse the system. For example, the USDA has no fixed definition of free range for poultry and meat products. Instead a company that wants to use the label must write a short description of why the product is free range, and as long as they prove that the animals involved have had some access to the outdoors for at least 120 days of the year, the request is approved. This essentially allows companies to decide for themselves what free range means, and there is no guarantee for consumers that they are actually buying something made in a more humane way.
The rules are similar for eggs. Although the facilities where the chickens are kept do have to be inspected by the USDA, their definition of free range is just that the chickens have “continuous access to the outdoors”. Because this definition is so vague, a farm where hundreds of chickens are crammed in an area too small for them to move freely and where the outside access is a small hole that only their head could fit through would still meet the terms.
Making the definition of free range clearer and requiring inspections for all products wishing to use that label will likely encourage some companies to improve standards for their animals. It will at the very least allow people to know if what they’re buying is really free range. Until that happens, there are some other labels you can look for that are better indications of the production quality. Three independent companies, American Humane Association, Humane Farm Animal Care, and Animal Welfare Approved, provide verified labeling. Each has its own slightly different standards, but they are all more reliable than a USDA free range label.
About Author
