What It Means: This label means some very specific and legal things.
So whether you're starting to reshape your shop to protect the planet or give more money to farmers, here's your guide to the labels on your groceries, precisely what they mean, and whether a label that promises "100% cage free eggs" can actually be trusted. (For instance, the FDA has no laws at all on using the word "natural" on food labels.) On other stuff, though, they're a little more lenient - or don't regulate at all. The FDA's strict on nutritional claims you can't put the word "healthy" on your food unless it's low in cholesterol, fat, and sodium and contains 10 percent of the recommended daily intake for something necessary, like fiber. The basic skinny behind food labels is that the trustworthy ones are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or by independent third parties. Despite looking simple on the surface, classifying food can be an intriguing business underneath - and you may be being misled by a few common misconceptions.
It seems fairly simple to try and shop ethically and healthily - look out for things that sound positive, natural and green! - but to really know what's what, you need to be up to speed on the regulations behind food label classification, and what criteria a food must pass before it's given a certain word to use on its packaging. Chances are, if you're a Millennial with a little cash, your weekly grocery shop is a blaze of labels and marks with various earth-friendly slogans: Fair Trade, USDA Organic, Cage Free, Massaged By Elves And Cultivated To The Sound Of Harps.