Choosing the Healthiest Foods: The Facts About Food Labels
Grocery shopping can become a daunting task when you’re trying to select the healthiest foods. Many shoppers want to know how their foods are grown and raised, and plenty of food pack-ages carry labels that provide clues. But, labels can be confusing—and sometimes misleading. Here is a guide to some of the most common labels you will see in your supermarket.
Organic
For a food product to be granted a “USDA Organic” seal, the product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, must be grown and processed without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Meat and poultry must be fed 100-percent organically grown feed that contains no genetically modified seeds or animal byproducts. Animals must be raised without synthetic hormones and vac-cinations, they cannot be treated with antibiotics, and they must have access to the outdoors.
From a nutrition standpoint, is spending the extra money on organic foods worthwhile? Studies have produced mixed results on whether organic foods contain more nutrients, according to Stephan Torres, MS, RD, a dietitian at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.
“Researchers who compared nutrient values in organically grown versus conventionally grown foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, meat, and eggs, found few nutritional differences,” says Torres. “Organic chicken and milk were found to have a higher omega-3 fatty acid content, and organic chicken and pork were about a third less likely to contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”
ORGANIC VS. HEALTHY
Don’t mistake the term “organic” for “healthy.” Cookies, cakes, snack chips, soft drinks, and other foods with little nutritional value can be made of organic ingredients. A balanced diet that contains minimally processed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, is the best source of a wide variety of health-promoting nutrients. Choose healthy foods, even if they aren’t organic, rather than less healthy foods just because they are organic.
Natural
This term is commonly used, but it has limited practical meaning. Neither the USDA nor the FDA has formally defined the meaning of the term “natural.” The FDA says the term may be used on food labels if the product contains no added coloring, artificial flavors, or synthetic sub-stances. The USDA allows the term “natural” to appear on meat or poultry that is “minimally processed” (which includes smoking, drying, grinding, or freezing) and contains no artificial ingredients, including flavorings, colors, or chemical preservatives.
No antibiotics
FDA standards state that no meat sold in the U.S. is allowed to contain antibiotic residues. How-ever, antibiotics are routinely given to conventionally raised livestock in order to promote faster growth. Torres notes that concerns have arisen regarding this practice, as many scientists believe it may be contributing to the increase in drug-resistant bacteria in humans. In fact, due to these concerns, in 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put into effect a policy that will phase out antibiotic use to promote growth in animals raised for meat. Meat producers making claims such as “no antibiotics added” must get approval for the claim from the USDA.
Hormone-Free
Synthetic growth hormones are typically given to cattle to increase their rate of growth. “There is some speculation that the hormones given to livestock may remain in the meat that we consume, and that these hormones could affect the hormone levels in our bodies, which can affect a variety of processes (including cancer growth). However, the FDA claims that there is no difference between meat from animals raised with and without hormones,” says Torres.
Federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones in poultry, hogs, and veal calves.
Grass-fed
Animals whose meat is labeled “grass-fed” cannot have been fed grain and grain byproducts, and are required to have continuous access to pasture for the duration of their lives after weaning.
Torres reports that some studies have found that grass-fed beef may contain fewer calories, less total fat, higher levels of vitamins A and E, and more omega-3 and CLA fatty acids (a lesser known “healthy” fat) than beef fed a grain-based diet.
Cage-free or free-range
These terms apply only to poultry raised for meat. Proof must be provided that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside; however, there are no requirements for how much time the poultry spends outdoors, or on the size or quality of the outdoor space.
Certified humane raised and handled®
This is a voluntary certification administered by the non-profit organization Humane Farm Animal Care, which is dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals and ensuring humane treatment of animals from birth to slaughter.
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