Poultry Picks SSC: Best Meats For Backyard Gourmets

Many summer backyard chefs want top-quality meat and poultry, which increasingly means that which is most healthily, ecologically and humanely produced. As the outdoor grilling season opens, though, shoppers may be confused by a plethora of label claims, from free-range to hormone-free. What exactly do they mean?

We looked at labels currently on the market, sorting through the confusion of different claims, and then picked environmentally-sound products listed in shopping charts below. In compiling the charts, we considered options in both conventional supermarkets (C-town in Manhattan and Waldbaum's Queens, NY) and specialty food stores in Manhattan (Fairway Uptown and Whole Foods Market). Unfortunately, the conventional stores still didn't offer a lot of choices, so it may pay to plan ahead and shop at markets that sell the real deal.

While most of the claims on meat and poultry labels are defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, the majority are not verified by any third parties. If you're not confident about a brand, ask your butcher for more information and speak to the farm or company itself about their standards and the conditions in which their animals live. The only meaningful labels that are verified by a third party are "organic" (verified by certifiers accredited by the USDA) and "certified humane" (certified by Humane Farm Animal Care), making products with these labels a top pick.

Since the USDA regulations for organic meat came into existence just this last October, there aren't a lot of choices on the shelves. However, markets will respond to demand, so urge your store managers and butchers to stock organic as well as meats from the other labels and brands listed below. The more interest shown, the more likely businesses will take the risk in offering new varieties.

Labels

Here are the different label claims we've found on meat products, including beef, pork, and poultry. Below are shopping charts for these meats, showing brands whose products meet one or more of these claims.

1. USDA organic—Animals are fed organic feed, are not administered any antibiotics and no irradiation or genetic modification takes place. They are raised under conditions which provide for exercise, access to outdoors and freedom of movement. The USDA allows products that contain all organic ingredients to be labeled as "100% organic;" products that contain 95% up to 100% organic ingredients can be labeled as "organic." Claims are verified by third-party inspectors (www.usda.gov).

2. Certified humane raised and handled—Cattle have sufficient space and shelter and must have access to fresh water at all times. They must not be fed hormones or antibiotics and must be treated and handled according to Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) standards. Claims are verified by third-party inspectors (www.certifiedhumane.com). Hogs are rasied humanely on independent family farms, where they can behave naturally. They must not be fed hormones or antibiotics, and cannot be fed any animal remnants. Gestation crates are not permitted. Animals must be treated according to standards set by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). Claims are verified by third-party inspectors (www.awionline.org/farm/).

3. Pastured or grass fed—Cattle are fed on a confined or unconfined system with a grass floor. Claims are not verified by third party inspectors.

4. Free range or free roaming—Poultry are free to roam; however, the use of the term "free range" is only defined by the USDA for poultry production, and need only mean that the bird has had some access to the outdoors each day, which could be a dirt or concrete feedlot. USDA considers five minutes of open-air access each day to be adequate. Claims are defined by UDSA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

5. No antibiotics administered, raised without antibiotics or antibiotic-free—The USDA allows producers to label meat and poultry products with the claims "no antibiotics administered" or "raised without antibiotics." The term "antibiotic-free" is not approved for use by the USDA. Claims are defined by UDSA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

6. No hormones administered, raised without hormones, or hormone-free—Cattle must not receive any hormones during their lifetime. For poultry and pigs, the USDA already prohibits the use of hormones, so in their cases the label only represent the regulations that are already in place The term "hormone-free" is not approved for use by the FDA. Claims are defined by USDA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

7. Natural—Meat must be minimally processed without any artificial flavors, colors, chemical preservatives, or synthetic ingredients. This is "perhaps the most misleading" claim according to Jessica Nelson of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, since the USDA does not exclude meats raised using antibiotics as growth promoters. Claims are defined by UDSA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

8. Fresh—Any raw poultry product that has not been cooled below 24° Fahrenheit (in other words, 8° below freezing). Since poultry can freeze at this temperature, Consumers Unions states that the label is "barely meaningful and potentially deceptive to consumers." Claims are verified by third-party inspectors (www.usda.gov).

9. Raised on small family farms—A non-factory farm alternative, producers are small scale and do not use industrial business models.

Shopping Charts

The charts below on beef, pork, and poultry are also available in easy-to-download pocket-sized shoppers' guides (see sidebar).

Poultry

Below are nationally-available chicken brands found at local supermarkets or health food stores. If you can't find these brands or labels at stores near you, urge them to stock up on healthier, more environmentally-conscious options.

Certifiers: AWI - Animal Welfare Institute; HFAC - Humane Farm Animal Care; MOSA - Midwest Organic Services Association; NOFA - Northeast Organic Farmers' Association; Kosher (OU) - Orthodox Union; QAI - Quality Assurance International; USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

* C - found in conventional supermarkets; H - found in health food stores

Beef and Pork

Beef and pork are often carried by stores under their own private labels, so it can be difficult to find national brands. Where distribution is limited, we have listed the states in which particulary varieties can be bought. Also, the regulations on organic beef and pork are new, making for a limited number of products; ask your grocery stores for organic meat to show that there is a demand.

See The Green Guide's product reports on organic meat and poultry for very complete listings of organic brands. See also the downloadable pocket-sized shoppers' guide in the sidebar.

* C - conventional supermarkets; F - farmers' markets; H - found in health food stores

Certifiers: AWI - Animal Welfare Institute; HFAC - Humane Farm Animal Care; NOFA - Northeast Organic Farmers' Association; MOSA - Midwest Organic Services Association; Kosher (OU) - Orthodox Union; QAI - Quality Assurance International; USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

For a more detailed description of the meaning behind the labels, visit Consumer's Union Eco-Labels website at www.eco-labels.org. The Global Resource Action Center for the Environment, www.gracelinks.org and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, www.iatp.org/labels/, provide additional resources for those wanting to get an insight into what the labels really mean.