You can’t always trust the label: How to know what's what in a greenwashed world.

These days, it can feel like learning a new language or decoding hieroglyphics when trying to read food labels at the supermarket.

Almost every brand wants to “be green,” and many have jumped into the sea of greenwashed goods that flood the isles of food stores.

With so many foods claiming to be “all natural,” “organic,” “GMO-Free” and more, it’s hard to know what’s what!

So… I’d like to help decipher the greenwashing code a bit, for the three labels that irk me the most:

“Natural” or “All Natural”

This label really doesn’t tell you much. When I think natural, I think straight from the earth and non-processed. But lots of processed foods are labeled as “natural”.... Ummm, how is that even possible?

It’s because, “The FDA has considered the term "natural" to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food. However, this policy was not intended to address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides, nor did it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods, such as thermal technologies, pasteurization, or irradiation. The FDA also did not consider whether the term "natural" should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.” (1)

Grass-Fed

Grass-fed does not necessarily mean that the animals were out grazing on fresh pasture or that they were even 100% grass-fed.

Products labeled grass-fed can include meat from animals that are started out on grass and then finished with grain. Or grass-fed meat can even come from animals kept in feed-lots and fed a diet of hay and finished with grain. 

When shopping for grass-fed meat in the store look for labels that specifically say “100% grass-fed” or that have certification form a third party such as The American Grass-Fed Association.

Cage-Free

A “cage free” claim on an egg carton label simply means that the hens were not confined in cages. However, it does not mean that the hens had access to the outdoors at all. Cage-free hens can still be raised indoors in large buildings that house thousands of birds in a very stressful and unhealthy environment.

And those hens certainly did not have free range to forage on biodiverse pastures with the cows and sheep like they do at Wolf Oak Farm.

We should all feel well informed when choosing food to feed our families. I’m here to tell it to you straight….

When it comes down to it, the only way to know for sure where your food comes from is to know your farmer.

This is why, at Wolf Oak Farm, we believe in 100% transparency. When we say our products are grass-fed or pasture raised, that’s exactly what we mean. No fluff or loopholes. No greenwashing here. Just pure, clean, naturally raised foods.

When shopping on the farm store, every product has a list of protocols. Don’t know what one of the protocols means? No problem! Simply click on it and it will take you to our protocols page where you will find an in depth description.

You can learn even more about our farming practices on our philosophies page too!

Now, all that information is certainly something you won’t find on “all natural, organic, grass-fed” meat from the food store!

Sources:

Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling