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Nutrient Claims
Low Sodium:The food contains 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving.
Lightly Salted:The item contains 50% less sodium per serving than the standard version of that product.
Less Sodium:The item contains at least 25% less sodium per serving compared to the standard version of that product. This is also true for the terms “reduced sodium” and “lower sodium.”
Excellent Source of:The item contains at least 20% of the Daily Value (DV) of the stated nutrient per serving. The same is true for the terms “rich” and “high in.” For example: “calcium rich” and “high in calcium.”
Good Source of:The item contains at least 10% of the DV of the stated nutrient per serving. The terms “fortified,” “with added,” “enriched” and “plus” indicate that the product has at least 10% more of the specified nutrient than a standard version of the product. For example: “vitamin D fortified,” “with added vitamin D,” “vitamin D enriched” and “plus vitamin D.”
Produce
Organic:Produce that makes an organic claim or bears the USDA organic seal must meet USDA organic standards on practices like crop rotation, disease management, and fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide use. Regulations do allow the use of some naturally occurring organic pesticides, though they’re generally believed to be less harmful to human health and the environment than the synthetically derived ones. Organic standards do not allow genetic engineering (GMOs).
Locally Grown: The meaning of “local” isn’t federally regulated, so there’s no official meaning. That said, some states' farm programs have their own restrictions on how far a “local” food can travel from its origins, and some store chains and brands set their own standards. You can do a little online digging to find out what your state’s rules are, or consult your supermarket manager.
Certified Biodynamic (Demeter USA):This seal confirms that a food or product was made in adherence to the Demeter biodynamic standards, which include all of the USDA organic standards and beyond, prohibiting some chemicals that are allowed in organic. It also has a stronger emphasis on encouraging biodiversity, requiring at least 10% of a farm’s land to be unfarmed (such as grasslands, wetlands and forests).
More:What’s the Difference between Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wine?
Animal Products
Natural:This term means that the meat must contain no artificial ingredients or added color, and be only minimally processed (a vague term that the USDA defines as “processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product”). This definition only applies to meat and poultry, not to packaged goods like yogurt or bread.
Read on:The 5 Biggest Myths about “Natural” Meats
Organic:Organic meat must comply with USDA organic standards that include requiring animals to be raised with year-round access to the outdoors and not be “continuously confined.” (Organic standards do allow farmers to keep animals inside or restrict outdoor access for specific conditions, like bad weather). There must be enough room for them to all feed “without crowding and without competition for food.” Meat raised organically cannot be fed GMO feed. Use of antibiotics or hormones is also not permitted.
No Hormones:This means that your beef comes from cattle not raised with hormones. For chicken and pork, the term is moot, since federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising these animals. (Although you will often still see it on the label.)
Not Treated with rBGH/rBST:Recombinant bovine somatotropin (aka recombinant bovine growth hormone is a hormone given to cows to increasemilkproduction. The FDA considers “hormone-free” or “rBGH-free” claims to be false because all milk contains hormones-whether they’re the cows' own hormones or those given to the animals-and has ruled that milk from treated cows is identical to milk from cows that haven’t received hormones. There is some evidence that milk from treated cows has higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which encourages cell growth with possible cancer implications. However, the FDA has determined that this elevation was no higher than natural IGF-1 levels. (This conclusion is not universally accepted, and the European Union and Canada do not allow cows to be treated with these hormones.)
No Added Nitrates/Nitrites; Uncured:These terms are used on processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, etc.) and mean that the food was cured using a fruit or vegetable that’s naturally high innitrates, such as celery juice and beet or cherry powder-as opposed to the man-made versions of this preservative (sodium or potassium nitrate or nitrite). Studies have linked eating large amounts of processed meats with an increased risk of stomach and colorectal cancer. It’s unclear if it’s the added nitrates or something else in the processing, but according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, there’s no evidence to suggest that products made with these natural versions are safer than conventional ones. (However, this isn’t reason to fear whole produce rich in nitrates, like celery or beets, which do have health benefits in this form.)
Free Range:Animals have access to an outdoor area, but the USDA doesn’t regulate how much room. For poultry, it also doesn’t specify the amount of time they have outside. Cattle must have free access to outdoor space for at least 120 days a year. Find more labels pertaining tobuying eggsandbuying chicken, here.
Animal Welfare Approved:Because the definition of free range and pasture raised is largely left up to the interpretation of meat and poultry producers, this additional certification from A Greener World has defined standards that are independently verified. This have rules for pasture size and minimum duration of time spent outside. Other seals that indicate similar standards include “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” or “American Humane Certified.”
USDA Process Verified:This certifies that producers that make a claim about a production process-such as “cage-free” or “no antibiotics”-have provided documents to prove it, and a USDA official conducted on-site inspections to verify it. The seal gives you extra reassurance that the producer’s claim has backup-but it’s only as meaningful as the claim itself. For example, seeing “cage-free” on a package of supermarket chicken wouldn’t mean much, since chickens grown for meat aren’t raised in cages anyway.
Fish
ASC Certified: This label from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council means that the fish farm uses practices that minimize the impact on the local ecosystem and there are limits on the use of wild fish in feed.
Read on:How to Make Sustainable Seafood Choices at the Fish Market
Packaged Goods
No Sugar Added:This claim means the food contains no sugars that were added during processing or packing-including “sneaky” ones like concentrated fruit juice or dates-but it might still have artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol).
Unsweetened:The product contains no added sweeteners of any kind (even artificial sweeteners).
Antioxidant-Rich:The FDA does regulate antioxidant claims, but food companies don’t need to distinguish whether they’re intrinsic or added. For instance, the bulk of the antioxidants in “antioxidant-rich” blueberry juice may come from added vitamin C.
Whole Wheat or Whole Grain:Products bearing either this claim or “made with whole wheat” or “made with whole grain” must contain at least some whole wheat or other whole grain; however, they may contain refined grains as well. (Bread, rolls, buns and macaroni products have a stricter standard: “whole wheat” versions of these products may not be made with refined wheat.)
“Whole Wheat Is the First Ingredient”:This means that the first ingredient is whole wheat, but there may be refined grains in the product as well.
“100% Whole Wheat” or “100% Whole Grain”:All of the wheat or grain must be whole. No refined grain can be used in this product.
Whole Grain seal:The Whole Grains Council has three versions of this yellow stamp. “100% Whole Grain” means that all of the grain in this product is whole and there is no refined grain. “50%+ Whole Grain” means that at least half of the grains in this product are whole, the rest are refined. “Whole Grain” means it has some whole grains (at minimum 8 grams per serving) but the majority of the grains are refined.
Multigrain:This term simply means that there are several different types of grains, but it does not tell you in what quantity or if they are whole grain or not. The same is true for products that list the number of grains, like “Seven Grain” bread.
Want more? Get thisGluten-Free Foods List.
Natural:There is no formal definition of natural for packaged goods.
Non-GMO Project Verified: This is an independently verified label that says that the product was made without ingredients that have been genetically modified.
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