Green Guide's Beef Label Decoder

For the conscious consumer, food shopping may involve much label deciphering, interpretation, and confusion. Organic this, certified that ... what does it really mean? If you shop for beef, National Geographic's Green Guide has an interactive label decoder to help you sort out the various certifications and buzzwords.

Green Guide's Beef Label Decoder deciphers six certification labels:

• USDA Certified Organic
• American Grassfed Association
• USDA Certified Grass (Forage) Fed
• Certified Humane Raised and Handled
• Food Alliance Certified
• Animal Welfare Approved

For each label, there are details on five criteria:

• Feed Allowed
• Access To Pasture
• Antibiotics
• Growth Hormones
• Animal Welfare

Check it out and let us know what you think: Beef Label Decoder

[via Food Renegade]

(Image: Green Guide)

Posted originally from: TheKitchn

Comments (4)

Awesome. Now can you give us shopping resources? Animals that aren't treated like garbage are not easily found in the local supermarket.

posted by theambershow on January 16th 2010 at 9:27pm
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Oh, good Lord. That pic makes me twitchy. So glad I'm vegetarian. I can't go without shampoo or toothpaste or clean dishes/clothes, so I have to put some thought into smart choices re: personal care and cleaning products, but I am not about to mess with a freakin' beef decoder ring. Life is too short -- herbivory FTW.

posted by shanalulu on January 19th 2010 at 5:39am
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@theambershow, farmers' markets, food co-ops, or ask at your local natural foods market. If your NFM is anything like mine, there are plenty of nice hemp-clad employees happy to tell you anything you want to know about living a more earth- and animal-friendly existence. (I suspect better luck at a locally-owned joint than at a Whole-Foods-type chain, but YMMV.)

posted by shanalulu on January 19th 2010 at 5:44am
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Thanks for the link to the "decoder". Even though I'm not a vegetarian anymore, I found that none of the options met all of the criteria that I would like to see. In other words, it's best (for my ethics system) not to eat beef at all.

posted by darcitananda on January 20th 2010 at 12:37pm
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