Use This Guide When Shopping For Chicken

Chicken Lingo Explained – Learn Your Labels

Shopping for chicken can be confusing. It used to be that you'd go to your local farm and buy the chicken that the farmer handed you. Now there are labels. You may see chicken that is labeled free range, farm raised, organic, natural, or no hormones added.

What does it all mean? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for the designations you see on your packaged chicken. Let's take a look at the simplest explanation of a few of the categories you may come across when you are buying chicken in the grocery store.

Free Range

It's pretty difficult to define this label, which is why the USDA doesn't have a blanket rule for all chicken farms that claim to be free range. Each farm must make their own case and present it to the USDA for approval. The 'free range' designation means the chickens must have access to the outdoors for a part of the day. They are not forced outdoors, so they may not be 'free ranging' as much as folks may think. Having a free range designation from the USDA does not mean the chickens are organic, since the feed is not part of the designation; just the availability of the outdoors.

Organic

This label is more complicated. To begin, all chicken labeled 'organic' must also be free range. Once this is established, then the other rules come into play, and the USDA has very specific rules regarding production. Chicken can only be labeled organic if the farm adheres to these strict rules. Also, according to the USDA, having an organic designation doesn't mean the product is safer or healthier than chicken without the organic label.

Farm Raised

If you scratch your head a little when you see this label, it's understandable. Aren't all chickens raised on farms? This label could be slapped on every chicken package in the store, which means if you see it, it doesn't mean anything. However, if you are eating at a restaurant and you see 'farm raised' on a chicken menu item, it usually indicates that the chicken is locally grown. But, to be sure, ask your waiter or the restaurant manager, especially if they are asking a higher price for their 'farm raised' chicken.

Natural

Again, this is a label that could be placed on all the chicken you see in the grocery store. The fact is, producers don't need to add coloring or preservatives or other artificial ingredients when they process the chicken. Getting the chicken from the farm to the store only requires minimal handling. In other words, don't pay more for a chicken labeled 'natural' since all producers could sport the same label if they wanted to.

No Hormones Added

This is probably one of the most seen, and least understood, labels on chicken today. The fact is, in the United States, the FDA prohibits the use of added hormones in chicken. Every package of chicken can properly be labeled 'no hormones added' but also must include a line saying no hormones are used in any poultry products, stating clearly that they are not unique in this claim. Marketing with this label seems to be falling out of favor as consumers learn the truth about added hormones; simply, there are no added hormones, ever.

Raised Without Antibiotics

With modern day concerns about the overuse of antibiotics, especially in children, consumers wanted to be reassured that they weren't getting doses of hidden antibiotics in their food. The USDA allows the phrase 'raised without antibiotics' to be used on packaging if the chicken was raised without the use of antibiotics.

You may see marketing outside of the packaging itself using the term 'antibiotic free' since only the packaging is regulated by the USDA. The concern about antibiotics in chicken may be unnecessary since the USDA requires certain procedures for chicken production and packaging that eliminates any residual antibiotics from the chicken, rendering it 'antibiotic free' in reality. However, if you are concerned with antibiotics in your food, then look for the USDA label 'Raised Without Antibiotics' on the chicken packaging.

What this all boils down to is you need to read chicken packaging labels carefully, keeping in mind that some of the terms used on the label may be part of a marketing strategy. For instance, if a chicken labeled 'farm raised' is priced higher than a chicken without that label, you'll have to ask yourself; "Where was the cheaper chicken raised?"  Other labels, however, are USDA designations and cannot be used for marketing.

Now that you have the low-down on labeling, I know shopping for the right chicken will be much easier. And, after all that hard work, it's time to relax and think about that delicious chicken dinner on the table tonight.