Knowing Your Labels

To make being an Ethical Omnivore easier, we need to use the tools available to us. Several groups are attempting to regulate Humanely Raised meats, eggs and dairy. Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved and American Humane Certified have done the work to ensure animals are raised humane through site inspection. They provide product labeling on approved products. It is one way to easily identify animal products that meet humane standards.

I have mentioned Certified Humane Raised and Handled programs before. The Certified Humane label has the approval of the Humane Society of the United States. The Certified Humane program require humane treatment of animal from birth through slaughter. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving costumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. To learn more about this program and view products certified go to: ceritifedhumane.org

Animal Welfare Approved program audits and certifies family farms that utilize high-welfare methods of farming. AWA requires animals to raised on pasture or range. They award approval to family farms only. And, unlike Certified Humane they do not charge a fee to be approved. Among the products approved is White Oak Pastures sold at Whole Foods and Publix stores. To learn more about this program and view products certified go to: animalwelfareapproved.org

American Humane Certified is a voluntary, fee-based service available to producers of animals in agriculture. The program provides independent, third party audited verification that the care and handling of the animals on the enrolled farms meet the animal welfare standards set forth by American Humane Certified. Approved producers include Dixie Egg Company (Egg-land Best), Springer Mountain Farms (chicken) and Pastry Smart (frozen food). To learn more about this program and view other products go to: thehumanetouch.org

Don't be fooled by misleading labels. Organic and All Nature have nothing to do with Humane practices. According to the Humane Society of the United States, USDA Organic Standard is barely a standard at all. Requiring factory farms to provide a few more inches of space than no-organic USDA approved animals.
Where as, "All Nature" has absolutely no regulation for most products and nothing to do with humane farming practices. When applied to beef and poultry the USDA stipulates the products need to be "minimally processed."

Humane Animal Products are available at our local stores and product labeling is important tool to ensuring that our animals are treated humanely and we are able to find those products. I also find it to be a tool for consumer education and awareness. The more products with humane labeling the more the average consumer will be exposed to the idea that animals deserve humane treatment.