Saturday, August 11, 2007
Suddenly, the Hunt Is On for Cage-Free Eggs - New York Times
A New York Times article about the growing popularity of cage-free eggs. The article points out that being cage-free are not necessarily nicer to the chickens, which is something I didn't know. I generally buy cage-free eggs because I thought they were nicer to the chickens and because they're healthier (lower in fat and cholesterol, higher in vitamins). This is something to think about, though -- for the (much) higher price, shouldn't I be assured that the chickens really are having a nicer time of it?
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3 comments:
Yeah, all those terms -- all-natural, cage-free, free-range, etc. -- can mean almost anything. Free-range can mean the animals were let outside five minutes a day. There aren't any real regulations, just feel-good technicalities. I try to support them on principle, but I also wish more people were aware of how little those terms can mean so maybe there would be a greater movement toward better treatment of our food animals.
Me too -- there are real regulations behind` "organic," arent' there?
There are regulations for "organic" labeling, which vary from country to country. The Wikipedia article on organic certification explains it pretty well. Here's one of the most relevant parts:
"In the US, federal organic legislation defines three levels of organics. Products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods can be labelled "100% organic". Products with 95% organic ingredients can use the word "organic". Both may also display the USDA organic seal. A third category, containing a minimum of 70% organic ingredients, can be labelled "made with organic ingredients". In addition, products may also display the logo of the certification body that approved them. Products made with less than 70% organic ingredients can not advertise this information to consumers and can only mention this fact in the product's ingredient statement. Similar percentages and labels apply in the EU."
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