Free-range, 100% vegan, hormone free, certified organic, all natural, no preservatives, and so forth and so on …
What does that all really mean? How meaningful are these labels? How consistent are these claims?
Many food and products are sold under the guise of “good for you” and “environmentally friendly,” but let’s face it — all natural could well apply to arsenic and mercury! Free-range doesn’t necessarily mean an animal went outside. Certified Organic means what you’d expect … if it’s certified by the USDA. That means that the food in question has been tested thoroughly to ensure it’s organic. For example, the apples were grown in an organic orchard that has had no pesticide use on the trees or the surrounding soil for a certain period of time. Or, the crackers use 100% certified organic ingredients.
Know your eco-labels and check on hundreds of household products and goods at Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices. It’s the most thorough resource on this topic that Enviro Girl has ever seen! For more on Certified Organic around the world, check out this Wikipedia link, which leads to all sorts of other interesting reading.
