Label Loopholes
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Just a friendly reminder about food labels for you to consider when making choices.
When you see these labels below on animal products like meat, cheese, or eggs, remember the loopholes.
“Organic” loopholes:
• Newborn male chicks of egg-laying hens are not protected by label requirements, thus allowing industries to suffocate, gas, grind, or otherwise dispose of them as standard operating procedure.
• Chickens raised for meat may be kept in continual lighting, which does not allow rest and promotes excessive eating. The result is chickens grow at accelerated rates and many develop skeletal problems.
• Access to outdoors, does not require that animals actually spend time outdoors. Access may be insufficient relative to the number of animals needing access.
• Dairy cows may be tied to stalls so they cannot move freely.
• Some of the certifying agents have permitted chicken producers to use the rule allowing temporary confinement to keep birds confined indoors most or all of the time.
• Some large organic dairies have been allowed to house cows without access to pasture.
“Free-range/Free-roaming” loopholes:
• Newborn male chicks of egg-laying hens are not protected by label requirements, thus allowing industries to suffocate, gas, grind, or otherwise dispose of them as standard operating procedure.
• The label is sometimes used–but is not regulated–for cows, pigs, sheep, or goats.
• The amount of space or time outdoor and stocking density (crowding) are not regulated for any animals. Some producers have a small outside space added on the buildings that house tens of thousands of chickens, but only a few birds can access it.
“Cage-free” loopholes:
• Newborn male chicks of egg-laying hens are not protected by label requirements, thus allowing industries to suffocate, gas, grind, or otherwise dispose of them as standard operating procedure.
• Outdoor access and stocking density (crowding) are not regulated. Chickens may be severely crowded and still labeled as “cage-free.”
“Pastured” loopholes:
• newborn male chicks of egg-laying hens are not protected by label requirements, thus allowing industries to suffocate, gas, grind, or otherwise dispose of them as standard operating procedure.
“Grass-fed” loophole:
• Cows may be confined and grass-fed. Label does not equate to grazing in a pasture. The label may include in small print “grain-finished,” indicating that the cow spent some time confined in a feedlot.
Quote info above comes from http://humanefacts.com/labels.htm where you can learn about other labels like “Certified Humane” or “American Humane Certified.”
Great post. Such important info. Thanks.