Going Green? Understanding food labels

A few years ago I started eating better and by better I mean cleaner. I cut out the highly processed white stuff, the high fructose corn syrups and the trans fats. So far so good. While that transformation took place over several months I educated myself on eating clean and learned to make better choices including some organic foods where possible.

As many of you know I've told you how much better I've felt since I've started eating cleaner. I've seen a decrease in health complaints including allergies. Its interesting to note that my European husband never really had allergy problems until he moved to the US. Since then he's had allergic reactions to foods he's eaten his entire life. European regulation of food and US regulation of food are not the same, especially when it comes to GM/GE free foods, but more on that later.

I don't know about you but the food labels can be confusing and when we're talking healthy food labels for organic or natural foods, they throw around a lot of terms I didn't understand. So I started compiling a little cheat sheet for myself as I learned and recently I've been asked so many questions I thought it would be a good time to share a few things. 

Natural: This doesn't mean organic. USDA standards for Natural mean that no artificial ingredients or food color was added and the the food was minimally processed.


USDA Organic: 95% of listed ingredients are organic.  The USDA defines this as organic food produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; Bioengineering, ionizing radiation. Animals products should be produced without antibiotics or growth hormones.
You may see this label on produce, meat, milk, eggs, cheese and processed foods


Certified Naturally Grown:  Becoming USDA Organic certified is an expensive process. Certified Naturally Grown is non-profit alternative often used by smaller farms who sell locally but follow the USDA Organic standards.

Grass Fed: There is debate over the health benefits of grass fed vs grain fed meats. What does grass fed mean? I found out what it doesn't mean. It doesn't necessarily mean an animal was raised in a pasture. If eating grass fed meat is important to you, also make sure the label doesn't state grain finished. Often an animal is fed grain prior to slaughter to fatten them up.

Free-range: By USDA definition, for poultry and eggs to be labeled free range, produces must demonstrate that the birds must have been allowed access to the outside.

Hormone or Antibiotic Free: Produces have to provide documentation and prove that no hormones or antibiotics were used in the production of the meat. You'll see this label on beef and lamb. You shouldn't see it on poultry or pork because federal regulations ban their use in poultry and pork. I was looking at chicken breast in the store recently and I asked for organic chicken and the man working there tried to boast to me that THEY only carry hormone and antibiotic free chicken and then he said "its the same as organic" No its not. Yes companies will label their chicken and pork as hormone and antibiotic free in an attempt to capitalize on the consumers desire for healthy products but all they are really telling you is that they follow the law.

Locally Grown: This doesn't necessarily mean the food was produced in a safe and healthy manner. However by buying locally you are supporting local economy, costs are often less because transportation costs are reduced. You'd have to check with the farm to find out how the food was produced.

Fair Trade Certified: I first encountered this in the mid 1990's when my auto repair place introduced me to the fair trade coffee the brought back from their mission work in Guatemala. You'll often see this label on coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar and even bananas. This label means that the farm workers were paid fairly for their work and it was produced using sustainable farming practices.

GM or GE Free: This is a tricky one. Unfortunately the USDA does not require genetically engineered or genetically modified food to carry this label. There isn't enough space in my blog for me to go into all of the reasons why I would always always pick GM/GE free foods. In a nutshell: genes from various organism (human, plant, animal, bacteria or virus) are inserted into crops. Its not natural. Our very crowded planet has a lot of people to feed and they are always trying to find ways to do that but the long term effects are unknown. Where do you find GM/GE foods: soybeans (products containing soy) corn (products containing corn or corn byproducts) canola oil and cotton seed oil. So basically crackers, cookies, breads, soft drinks, salad dressings and corn chips/tacos. Kind of makes me glad I've already given up most of these foods 90% of the time but there are kids out there who live off this stuff. Whats it doing to them and future generations? Many European countries already ban these products and use of these products, I hope that the United States soon follows suit.

This is NOT an all encompassing guide. Its a place to start. I would encourage you to do further research on your own as to what foods are best for you and your family and what is best for your health. This is merely, food for thought.