Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Where Was Your Chicken Before It Hatched?
April 27, 2006 — - Grocery shopping is not what it used to be. Besides making sure the eggs aren't cracked, there's the new sport of label checking.
Are the eggs brown or white? Are they organic? Hormone-free? Free-range? Cruelty-free? And how are these things even justified? Certified? Legitimate?
As people become more concerned about where their food comes from and what it goes through before it rests on their plate, a new revolution brews and it's in an unlikely place -- the farm.
The "Certified Humane" label, a certification created in May 2003 through Herndon, Va.-based Humane Farm Animal Care, is becoming a more-popular and sought-after sticker for producers and stores, alike.
....
Grocery stores are also seeing the commercial potential of carrying the label in their stores.
A 23-store chain based in Larchmont, N.Y., D'Agostino Supermarkets, is asking all its suppliers to become certified humane. The supermarket not only is trying to figure out how to compete in the tough New York grocery market with big competitors like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's winning over shoppers in the region, but owner Nick D'Agostino III says his customers are looking for this.
"People are more concerned about where their food comes from," he said. "People are very, very concerned. There is no reason why animals shouldn't be treated in a reasonable manner."
....
The certified humane label, which reads "Certified Humane Raised & Handled," may ease some consumers' minds. To become certified, a food item must meet certain standards, including no use of growth hormones and raising animals on a regular diet of "quality feed free of antibiotics."
Producers also must comply with local, state and federal environmental standards. Processors must comply with the American Meat Institute Standards, a higher standard for slaughtering farm animals than the Federal Humane Slaughter Act.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Health/story?id=1896463&page=1
Are the eggs brown or white? Are they organic? Hormone-free? Free-range? Cruelty-free? And how are these things even justified? Certified? Legitimate?
As people become more concerned about where their food comes from and what it goes through before it rests on their plate, a new revolution brews and it's in an unlikely place -- the farm.
The "Certified Humane" label, a certification created in May 2003 through Herndon, Va.-based Humane Farm Animal Care, is becoming a more-popular and sought-after sticker for producers and stores, alike.
....
Grocery stores are also seeing the commercial potential of carrying the label in their stores.
A 23-store chain based in Larchmont, N.Y., D'Agostino Supermarkets, is asking all its suppliers to become certified humane. The supermarket not only is trying to figure out how to compete in the tough New York grocery market with big competitors like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's winning over shoppers in the region, but owner Nick D'Agostino III says his customers are looking for this.
"People are more concerned about where their food comes from," he said. "People are very, very concerned. There is no reason why animals shouldn't be treated in a reasonable manner."
....
The certified humane label, which reads "Certified Humane Raised & Handled," may ease some consumers' minds. To become certified, a food item must meet certain standards, including no use of growth hormones and raising animals on a regular diet of "quality feed free of antibiotics."
Producers also must comply with local, state and federal environmental standards. Processors must comply with the American Meat Institute Standards, a higher standard for slaughtering farm animals than the Federal Humane Slaughter Act.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Health/story?id=1896463&page=1
Labels: health food, organic
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