Natural Meat and poultry labeled “natural” should not have any added artificial flavoring, color ingredients, chemical preserva-tives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and should be only “minimally processed” — defined by the USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product. “Natural” has no bearing on the way the animal was raised or the food and additives that it was fed.

No added HormoNesAnimals were raised without added growth hormones. By law, hogs and poultry cannot be given hormones — so the use of the label on these meats is mere advertising. To ensure that other meats were raised without added hor-mones, ask your farmer or butcher.

No aNtibiotic use No antibiotics were administered to the animal during its lifetime. If an animal becomes sick, and needs antibiotics, it cannot be sold under this label.

No Feedlots Feedlots are outdoor confinement opera-tions that are most often used to “grain finish,” or fatten up cattle for slaughter during the last three to four months of its life. Meat bearing this label indicates that the animal went straight from the farm or ranch where it was raised to a USDA-certified slaughterhouse.

Pasture-raised In general, pasturing is a traditional farm-ing technique where animals are raised outdoors in a humane, ecologically sus-tainable manner and eat foods that nature intended them to eat. Animals are raised on pasture rather than being fattened on a feedlot or in a confined facility.

source VeriFied Source verified means that an animal is assigned an ID number at birth that allows it to be traced through its life, slaughter and sale. Source verification also tracks health records, feed re-cords and genetic history. This system, however, does not indicate whether the animal was raised sustainably by local farmers — in fact, the cost of develop-ing such a system is often prohibitive for independent growers. An inexpensive alternative is to simply buy directly from a local farmer who raised the animal and oversaw its slaughter.

sustaiNable While the word sustainable does not have a hard and fast definition, truly sustainable foods are raised locally by family farmers who promote the health of their animals, land and local communities. To be sure this label meets your expectations, ask your grocer or farmer for more informa-tion about how their animals were raised.

NoN-coNFiNed Animals were not confined in a feedlot, and had continuous access to the outside through-out their lifecycle. This does not actually mean that the animals went outside.

No meat/aNimal by-Products This label should indicate that the animals were raised on feed that contained no animal by-products (beaks, bones, tails, etc.). However, unlike the organic label, this claim is not veri-fied by any third party source.

No routiNe aNtibiotic use Antibiotics were not given to the animal to promote growth or to prevent disease, but may have been administered if the animal became ill.

orgaNic In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its producer, and the farm where the ingredients come from must meet the USDA’s organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal by-products) and cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants (animals with multi-chambered stomachs that chew their cud) must have access to pasture (but don’t actually have to go outdoors and graze on pasture to be considered organic).

You want to eat better but all those labels are so confusing –

what can you do?

carry this handy glossary when you shop to find the best food for

you and your family.

Glossary of

Meat Production Methods

Glossary of

Meat Production Methods

®®

100% VegetariaN Feed Animals are not fed any animal byprod-ucts. This does not guarantee that they were raised outdoors or on pasture, but it should indicate that they were raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category. This label does not reveal whether the ani-mals were fed supplements or additives.

artisaN meats Artisan butchers use traditional methods of butchering, curing, and preparing meats. Often passed down from genera-tion to generation, artisan techniques lend themselves to working by hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of meat. For this reason, artisan butchers often have close relationships with local farmers to ensure that, from farm to plate, their prod-ucts are of the highest possible quality.

biodyNamic This holistic method of agriculture is based on the philosophy that all aspects of the farm should be treated as an interrelated whole. Having emerged as a non-chemical agriculture movement approximately 20 years before the development of “organic” agriculture, biodynamics has now spread throughout the world. Biodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-able and productive environment. Food labeled “biodynamic” must be certified by an independent third party.

cage Free Birds are raised without cages. What this doesn’t explain is whether the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access to the outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded condi-tions. If you want to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised,” or ask your local farmer.

grass-Fed These animals eat grasses from wean-ing to slaughter. Their diet should not be supplemented with grain, animal byprod-ucts, or synthetic hormones. They should not be given antibiotics to promote growth or prevent disease (though they may be given antibiotics to treat disease). Note that “grass-fed” does not guarantee that the animal was pastured or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed animals are pasture-raised, some may still be confined and fed a steady diet of grasses. While the USDA concurs with these standards, they are only volun-tary. Farmers and ranchers may request that their use of the grass-fed label be verified through an independent auditing process, but are not required to do so. Heritage Heritage foods are derived from rare and endangered breeds of livestock and crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific breed of animal that is near extinction. Production standards are not required by law, but most heritage farmers use sustainable methods. Raising heritage breeds saves animals (and plants) from extinction and preserves genetic diversity.

irradiatioN Food labels that include the radura logo shown indicate that a product has been irradiated.

When meat is irradiated, it is exposed to very high doses of radiation that kill all bacteria — good and bad. While the claim is that irradiation makes food safer, it is useless against some common agricultural diseases, including foot and mouth, mad cow and hepatitis. The use of irradiation also undermines the incentive for industrial farms and processors to clean up their production methods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horsemeat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other products, including fruits and vegetables.

local Local meats are raised as close to your home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm raising meat for local sale could be as close as your backyard or as far as a neighboring state. If you are buying directly from an area farmer, your meat is definitely local. If you see the label in a store, ask your grocer where the meat was raised.

dry aged Dry aged means that meat, most often beef, is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain temperature for up to a month. Cold dry aging allows moisture to evaporate from the meat, which concentrates the flavor. At the same time, natural enzymes in the meat break down fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that the meat will be as tender as possible. Since cold storage space is expensive, only prime cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

Free-raNge/roamiNg ruNNiNg “Free Range” or “Free Roaming” means that the animal had some access to the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t guarantee that the animal actually spent any time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors is left open for some period of time, the animal can be considered Free Range. Although the USDA has defined this term for chicken raised for consumption, no standards have been set for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If you want to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised,” or ask your local farmer.

graiN-Fed Industrial animal farms rely on corn and soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. However, ruminants like cows have stomachs that evolved to digest grasses and other forage. As a result, when these animals are fed a grain-heavy diet, they often have digestive problems, poor liver health, and, in extreme cases, their diet can kill them. If you want meat or poultry that was raised with a sustainable diet, look for “Pas-tured” or “Grass-fed.”

create change —one forkful at a time.

What’s best

local sustainable or local organic from a small family farmer

biodynamic

organic

To find out more, please visit Sustainable Table at www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

Please note that products labeled with these terms, except organic and biody-namic, are not certified or verified by an independent source, so your best bet is to ask questions about where your food came from and to know your local farmer.

FOLDING DIRECTIONS

NATURAL Meat and poultry carrying the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial flavor-ing, color ingredients, chemical preserva-tives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed” and is defined by the USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product. “Natural” has no bearing on the way the animal was raised or the food and additives that it consumed.

NO ADDED HORMONESAnimals were raised without added growth hormones. By law, hogs and poultry cannot be given any hormones – so the use of the label on these meats is misleading! To ensure that other meats were raised without added hormones, ask your farmer or butcher.

NO ANTIBIOTIC USE No antibiotics were administered to the animal during its lifetime. If an animal becomes sick, it will be taken out of the herd and treated but it will not be sold with this label.

NO FEEDLOTS Feedlots are outdoor confinement opera-tions that are most often used to grain finish, or fatten up, cattle for slaughter for the last three to four months of their life. Meat bearing this label indicates that the animal went straight from the farm, or ranch that it was raised on, to a USDA certified slaughterhouse.

PASTURE-RAISED In general, pasturing is a traditional farm-ing technique where animals are raised outdoors in a humane, ecologically sus-tainable manner and eat foods that nature intended them to eat. Animals are raised on pasture rather than being fattened on a feedlot or in a confined facility.

SOURCE VERIFIED Source verified means that animals are as-signed a number ID at birth which allows it to be traced through its life, slaughter and sale. The source verification also tracks health records, feed records and genetic history. This system, however, will not indicate whether or not the animals were raised sustainably by local farmers – in fact the cost of developing such a system is often prohibitive for independent grow-ers. An inexpensive source verification alternative would be to simply buy direct from a local farmer.

SUSTAINABLE While the word sustainable does not have a hard and fast definition, truly sustainable foods are raised locally by family farmers who can ensure that the health of their animals, land and local communities are paramount in their agricultural practices. To be sure that this label meets your expectations, be sure to ask your grocer or farmer for more information about how their animals were raised.

NO MEAT/ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS Meat and poultry bearing this label should indi-cate that the animals were raised on feed that contained no by-products (beaks, bones, tails, etc.). However, unlike the organic label, this claim is not verified by any third party source.

NO ROUTINE ANTIBIOTIC USE Antibiotics were not given to the animal to promote growth or to prevent disease, but may have been administered if the animal became ill.

NON-CONFINED Animals not confined in a feedlot, and have con-tinuous access to the outside throughout their lifecycle. For poultry, check to make sure the animals were actually permitted to go outside, and not simply raised cage free in barns.

ORGANIC In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA’s organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertil-izers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal by-products) and cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture (which doesn’t mean they actually have to go outdoors and graze on pasture to be considered organic).

You want to eat better but all those labels are so confusing –

what can you do?

Carry this handy glossary with you when shopping to find the best food for you

and your family!

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

front

100% VEGETARIAN FEED Animals are not fed any animal byprod-ucts. This does not guarantee they were raised outdoors or on pasture, but it should indicate that they were raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category. Producers feeding their animals a 100% vegetarian diet should not be giving them supplements or additives, but it is always best to check with the farmer.

ARTISAN MEATS Artisan butchers use traditional methods of butchering, curing, and preparing meats. Often passed down from genera-tion to generation, artisan techniques often lend themselves to working by hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of meat. For this reason, artisan butchers often have close relationships with local farmers to ensure that, from farm to plate, their products are of the highest possible quality.

BIODYNAMIC This holistic method of agriculture is certified by a third-party agency and is based on the philosophy that all aspects of the farm should be treated as an interrelated whole. Having emerged as the first non-chemical agriculture move-ment approximately 20 years before the development of “organic” agriculture, biodynamics has now spread throughout the world. Biodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-able and productive environment. Food labeled “biodynamic” must be certified by an independent third party.

CAGE FREE Birds are raised without cages. What this doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access to outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or ask your local farmer.

GRASS-FED Animals eat grasses from start to finish. They should not be supplemented with grain, animal byproducts, synthetic hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-mote growth or prevent disease (though they might be given antibiotics to treat disease). Note that ‘grass-fed’ does not guarantee that the animal was pastured or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed animals are pasture-raised, some may still be confined and fed a steady diet of grasses. While the USDA concurs with these standards, they are only voluntary. Farmers and ranchers may request that their use of the grass-fed label be verified through an independent auditing process but are not required to do so. HERITAGE Heritage foods are derived from rare and endangered breeds of livestock and crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific breed of animal that is near extinction. Production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farmers use sustain-able production methods. This method of production saves animals from extinction and preserves genetic diversity.

IRRADIATION Food labels that include the radura, a plant-like logo, indicate that a product has been irradiated. When meat is irradiated, it is exposed to very high doses of radia-tion which kill all of the bacteria - good and bad. While many claim that irradiation makes food safer, it is useless against such diseases as foot and mouth, mad cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of irradiation provides little incentive for in-dustrial farms and processors to clean up their production methods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horse meat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other products.

LOCAL Local meats are raised as close to your home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm raising meat for local sale could be your backyard or from a neighboring state. If you are buying directly from an area farmer, your meat is definitely local. If you see the label in a store, just ask your grocer where it was raised.

DRY AGED Dry aged means that meat, most often beef, is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain temperature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging allows moisture to evaporate from the meat which concentrates the flavor. At the same time, natural enzymes in the meat break down fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that the meat will be as tender as possible. Since cold storage space is expensive, only prime cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-RANGE/ROAMING “Free Range” or “Free Roaming” means that the animal had some access to the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t guarantee that the animal actually spent any time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors is left open for some period of time, the animal can be considered Free Range. Although the USDA has defined this term for chicken raised for consumption, no standards have been set for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask your local farmer.

GRAIN-FED Industrial animal farms are reliant on corn and soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. However, ruminants like cows have stomachs that evolved to digest grasses and other for-age. As a result, animals fed a grain-heavy diet often have digestive issues, poor liver health, and, in extreme cases, death. If you are looking for meat or poultry that was raised with a sus-tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —one forkful at a time.

What’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic from a small family farmer

Biodynamic

Organic

To find out more, please visit Sustainable Table at www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

back

NATU

RA

L

Mea

t an

d p

oul

try

carr

ying

the

“na

tura

l”

clai

m m

ust no

t co

ntai

n an

y ar

tifici

al fl

avor-

ing, co

lor

ingre

die

nts,

che

mic

al p

rese

rva-

tives

, or

artifi

cial

or

synt

hetic

ingre

die

nts,

an

d a

re o

nly

“min

imal

ly p

roce

ssed

” an

d

is d

efine

d b

y th

e U

SD

A a

s a

pro

cess

th

at d

oes

not fu

ndam

enta

lly a

lter

the

raw

pro

duc

t. “

Nat

ural

” ha

s no

bea

ring

on

the

way

the

ani

mal

was

rai

sed o

r th

e fo

od a

nd

additi

ves

that

it c

ons

umed

.

NO

AD

DED

HO

RM

ON

ES

Ani

mal

s w

ere

rai

sed w

ithout

added

gro

wth

horm

one

s. B

y la

w,

hogs

and

poul

try

cann

ot

be g

iven

any

horm

one

s –

so t

he u

se o

f th

e la

bel o

n th

ese

meat

s is

m

isle

adin

g! T

o e

nsur

e t

hat

oth

er

meat

s w

ere

rai

sed w

ithout

added h

orm

one

s,

ask

your

far

mer

or

but

cher.

NO

AN

TIB

IOTIC

USE

N

o a

ntib

iotic

s w

ere

adm

inis

tere

d to the

an

imal

dur

ing it

s lif

etim

e. If

an

anim

al

bec

om

es s

ick,

it w

ill b

e ta

ken

out

of th

e

herd

and

tre

ated

but

it w

ill n

ot be

sold

with

th

is la

bel

.

NO

FEED

LO

TS

Fe

edlo

ts a

re o

utdoor

confi

nem

ent

opera

-tio

ns t

hat

are m

ost

oft

en

used t

o g

rain

fin

ish,

or

fatt

en

up,

catt

le for

slau

ght

er

for

the la

st t

hree t

o four

mont

hs o

f th

eir

life.

Meat

bear

ing t

his

label i

ndic

ates

that

th

e a

nim

al w

ent

str

aight

fro

m t

he far

m,

or

ranc

h th

at it

was

rai

sed o

n, t

o a

US

DA

cert

ified s

laug

hterh

ous

e.

PA

STU

RE-R

AIS

ED

In

gen

eral

, pas

turing

is a

tra

diti

ona

l far

m-

ing tec

hniq

ue w

here

ani

mal

s ar

e ra

ised

out

doors

in a

hum

ane,

eco

logic

ally

sus

-ta

inab

le m

anne

r an

d e

at foods

that

nat

ure

inte

nded

the

m to e

at. Ani

mal

s ar

e ra

ised

on

pas

ture

rat

her

than

bei

ng fat

tene

d o

n a

feed

lot or

in a

confi

ned fac

ility

.

SO

UR

CE V

ER

IFIE

D

Sour

ce v

erifi

ed m

eans

tha

t an

imal

s ar

e as

-si

gne

d a

num

ber

ID a

t birth

whi

ch a

llow

s it

to b

e tr

aced

thr

oug

h its

life

, sl

aught

er a

nd

sale

. The

sour

ce v

erifi

catio

n al

so tra

cks

heal

th r

ecord

s, fee

d r

ecord

s an

d g

enet

ic

hist

ory

. Thi

s sy

stem

, ho

wev

er, w

ill n

ot

indic

ate

whe

ther

or

not th

e an

imal

s w

ere

rais

ed s

usta

inab

ly b

y lo

cal f

arm

ers

– in

fa

ct the

cost

of dev

elopin

g s

uch

a sy

stem

is

often

pro

hibiti

ve for

indep

enden

t gro

w-

ers.

An

inex

pen

sive

sour

ce v

erifi

catio

n al

tern

ativ

e w

oul

d b

e to

sim

ply

buy

dire

ct

from

a lo

cal f

arm

er.

SU

STA

INA

BLE

W

hile

the

word

sus

tain

able

does

not ha

ve

a ha

rd a

nd fas

t defi

nitio

n, tru

ly s

usta

inab

le

foods

are

rais

ed lo

cally

by

fam

ily far

mer

s w

ho c

an e

nsur

e th

at the

hea

lth o

f th

eir

anim

als,

land

and

loca

l com

mun

ities

are

par

amoun

t in

the

ir a

gricu

ltura

l pra

ctic

es.

To b

e su

re tha

t th

is la

bel

mee

ts y

our

ex

pec

tatio

ns, be

sure

to a

sk y

our

gro

cer

or

farm

er for

more

info

rmat

ion

about

how

th

eir

anim

als

wer

e ra

ised

.

NO

MEAT/A

NIM

AL B

Y-P

RO

DU

CTS

M

eat an

d p

oul

try

bea

ring

thi

s la

bel

sho

uld in

di-

cate

tha

t th

e an

imal

s w

ere

rais

ed o

n fe

ed tha

t co

ntai

ned n

o b

y-pro

duc

ts (bea

ks, bone

s, tai

ls,

etc.

). H

ow

ever

, un

like

the

org

anic

label

, th

is

clai

m is

not ve

rifie

d b

y an

y th

ird p

arty

sour

ce.

NO

RO

UTIN

E A

NTIB

IOTIC

USE

Ant

ibio

tics

wer

e no

t giv

en to the

ani

mal

to

pro

mote

gro

wth

or

to p

reve

nt d

isea

se, but

may

ha

ve b

een

adm

inis

tere

d if

the

ani

mal

bec

ame

ill.

NO

N-C

ON

FIN

ED

Ani

mal

s no

t co

nfine

d in

a fee

dlo

t, a

nd h

ave

con-

tinuo

us a

cces

s to

the

out

side

thro

ugho

ut the

ir

lifec

ycle

. Fo

r poul

try,

che

ck to m

ake

sure

the

an

imal

s w

ere

actu

ally

per

mitt

ed to g

o o

utsi

de,

an

d n

ot si

mply

rai

sed c

age

free

in b

arns

.

OR

GA

NIC

In

ord

er to b

e la

bel

ed “

org

anic

,” a

pro

duc

t, it

s pro

duc

er, an

d the

far

mer

mus

t m

eet th

e U

SD

A’s

org

anic

sta

ndar

ds

and m

ust be

cert

ified

by

a U

SD

A-a

ppro

ved food-c

ertif

ying

agen

cy. O

rgan

ic

foods

cann

ot be

gro

wn

usin

g s

ynth

etic

fer

til-

izer

s, c

hem

ical

s, o

r se

wag

e sl

udge,

can

not be

gen

etic

ally

modifi

ed, an

d c

anno

t be

irra

dia

ted.

Org

anic

mea

t an

d p

oul

try

mus

t be

fed o

nly

org

anic

ally

-gro

wn

feed

(w

ithout

any

ani

mal

by-

pro

duc

ts) an

d c

anno

t be

trea

ted w

ith h

orm

one

s or

antib

iotic

s. F

urth

erm

ore

, th

e an

imal

s m

ust

have

acc

ess

to the

out

doors

, an

d r

umin

ants

m

ust ha

ve a

cces

s to

pas

ture

(w

hich

does

n’t

mea

n th

ey a

ctua

lly h

ave

to g

o o

utdoors

and

gra

ze o

n pas

ture

to b

e co

nsid

ered

org

anic

).

You

wan

t to

eat

bett

er

but

all

those

labels

are

so c

onf

usin

g –

w

hat

can

you

do?

Carr

y t

his

handy g

loss

ary

w

ith y

ou w

hen s

hoppin

g t

o

find t

he b

est

food f

or

you

and y

our

fam

ily!

GLO

SS

AR

Y O

F

MEAT

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

METH

OD

S

GLO

SS

AR

Y O

F

MEAT

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

METH

OD

S

100% VEG

ETARIAN

FEED

Animals are not fed any anim

al byprod-ucts. This does not guarantee they w

ere raised outdoors or on pasture, but it should indicate that they w

ere raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category. Producers feeding their anim

als a 100%

vegetarian diet should not be giving them

supplements or additives, but it is alw

ays best to check w

ith the farmer.

ARTISAN

MEATS

Artisan butchers use traditional m

ethods of butchering, curing, and preparing m

eats. Often passed dow

n from genera-

tion to generation, artisan techniques often lend them

selves to working by

hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of m

eat. For this reason, artisan butchers often have close relationships w

ith local farmers to ensure that, from

farm

to plate, their products are of the highest possible quality.

BIOD

YN

AMIC

This holistic m

ethod of agriculture is certified by a third-party agency and is based on the philosophy that all aspects of the farm

should be treated as an interrelated w

hole. Having emerged as

the first non-chemical agriculture m

ove-m

ent approximately 20 years before the

development of “organic” agriculture,

biodynamics has now

spread throughout the w

orld. Biodynamic farm

ers work in

harmony w

ith nature and use a variety of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm

composting, to foster a sustain-

able and productive environment. Food

labeled “biodynamic” m

ust be certified by an independent third party.

CAG

E FREE

Birds are raised w

ithout cages. What this

doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised

outdoors on pasture, if they had access to outside, or if they w

ere raised indoors in overcrow

ded conditions. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or m

eat that w

as raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or ask your local farm

er.

GR

ASS-FED

Animals eat grasses from

start to finish. They should not be supplem

ented with

grain, animal byproducts, synthetic

hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-

mote grow

th or prevent disease (though they m

ight be given antibiotics to treat disease). N

ote that ‘grass-fed’ does not guarantee that the anim

al was pastured

or pasture-raised. While m

ost grass-fed anim

als are pasture-raised, some m

ay still be confined and fed a steady diet of grasses. W

hile the USDA concurs with

these standards, they are only voluntary. Farm

ers and ranchers may request that

their use of the grass-fed label be verified through an independent auditing process but are not required to do so. H

ERITAG

E

Heritage foods are derived from rare

and endangered breeds of livestock and crops. Anim

als are purebreds, a specific breed of anim

al that is near extinction. Production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farm

ers use sustain-able production m

ethods. This method of

production saves animals from

extinction and preserves genetic diversity.

IRR

ADIATIO

N

Food labels that include the radura, a plant-like logo, indicate that a product has been irradiated. W

hen meat is irradiated,

it is exposed to very high doses of radia-tion w

hich kill all of the bacteria - good and bad. W

hile many claim

that irradiation m

akes food safer, it is useless against such diseases as foot and m

outh, mad

cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of

irradiation provides little incentive for in-dustrial farm

s and processors to clean up their production m

ethods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horse m

eat, lamb, pork, poultry and m

any other products.

LOC

AL Local m

eats are raised as close to your hom

e as possible. Depending on where

you live, the closest farm raising m

eat for local sale could be your backyard or from

a neighboring state. If you are buying directly from

an area farmer, your m

eat is definitely local. If you see the label in a store, just ask your grocer w

here it was

raised.

DRY

AGED

Dry aged m

eans that meat, m

ost often beef, is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain tem

perature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging

allows m

oisture to evaporate from the m

eat w

hich concentrates the flavor. At the same

time, natural enzym

es in the meat break dow

n fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that the m

eat will be as tender as possible. Since

cold storage space is expensive, only prime

cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-R

ANG

E/RO

AMIN

G

“Free Range” or “Free Roaming”

means that the anim

al had some access to

the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t

guarantee that the animal actually spent any

time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors

is left open for some period of tim

e, the animal

can be considered Free Range. Although the USDA has defined this term

for chicken raised for consum

ption, no standards have been set for egg-laying chickens or for other anim

als. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or m

eat that w

as raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask your local farm

er.

GR

AIN-FED

Industrial anim

al farms are reliant on corn and

soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. How

ever, ruminants like cow

s have stomachs

that evolved to digest grasses and other for-age. As a result, anim

als fed a grain-heavy diet often have digestive issues, poor liver health, and, in extrem

e cases, death. If you are looking for m

eat or poultry that was raised w

ith a sus-tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —

one forkful at a time.

W

hat’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic from

a small fam

ily farmer

Biodynamic

Organic

To find out more, please

visit Sustainable Table at w

ww.sustainabletable.org.

123

NAT

URAL

NO

ADD

ED H

ORM

ON

ES

NO

AN

TIBI

OTI

C US

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NO

FEE

DLO

TS

PAST

URE-

RAIS

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SOUR

CE V

ERIF

IED

SUST

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ABLE

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IMAL

BY-

PRO

DUCT

S

NO

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UTIN

E AN

TIBI

OTI

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EN

ON

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NFI

NED

ORG

ANIC

You

want

to e

at b

ette

r but

all

thos

e la

bels

are

so c

onfu

sing

–

what

can

you

do?

Carr

y th

is h

andy

glo

ssar

y

with

you

whe

n sh

oppi

ng to

find

the

best

food

for

you

and

your

fam

ily!MEA

TM

ETHO

DS

GLO

SSAR

Y O

F

MEA

T PR

ODU

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N

MET

HODS

100% VEGETARIAN FEED Animals are not fed any animal byprod-

ucts. This does not guarantee they were raised outdoors or on pasture, but it

should indicate that they were raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found

on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category.

Producers feeding their animals a 100% vegetarian diet should not be giving them

supplements or additives, but it is always best to check with the farmer.

ARTISAN MEATS Artisan butchers use traditional methods

of butchering, curing, and preparing meats. Often passed down from genera-

tion to generation, artisan techniques often lend themselves to working by

hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of meat. For this reason, artisan

butchers often have close relationships with local farmers to ensure that, from

farm to plate, their products are of the highest possible quality.

BIODYNAMIC This holistic method of agriculture is

certified by a third-party agency and is based on the philosophy that all aspects

of the farm should be treated as an interrelated whole. Having emerged as

the first non-chemical agriculture move-ment approximately 20 years before the

development of “organic” agriculture, biodynamics has now spread throughout

the world. Biodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety

of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-

able and productive environment. Food labeled “biodynamic” must be certified

by an independent third party.

CAGE FREE Birds are raised without cages. What this

doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access

to outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. If you are

looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that

says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or ask your local farmer.

GRASS-FED Animals eat grasses from start to finish.

They should not be supplemented with grain, animal byproducts, synthetic

hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-mote growth or prevent disease (though

they might be given antibiotics to treat disease). Note that ‘grass-fed’ does not

guarantee that the animal was pastured or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed

animals are pasture-raised, some may still be confined and fed a steady diet of

grasses. While the USDA concurs with these standards, they are only voluntary.

Farmers and ranchers may request that their use of the grass-fed label be verified

through an independent auditing process but are not required to do so.

HERITAGE

Heritage foods are derived from rare and endangered breeds of livestock and

crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific breed of animal that is near extinction.

Production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farmers use sustain-

able production methods. This method of production saves animals from extinction

and preserves genetic diversity.

IRRADIATION Food labels that include the radura, a

plant-like logo, indicate that a product has been irradiated. When meat is irradiated,

it is exposed to very high doses of radia-tion which kill all of the bacteria - good

and bad. While many claim that irradiation makes food safer, it is useless against

such diseases as foot and mouth, mad cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of

irradiation provides little incentive for in-dustrial farms and processors to clean up

their production methods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horse

meat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other products.

LOCAL Local meats are raised as close to your

home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm raising meat for

local sale could be your backyard or from a neighboring state. If you are buying

directly from an area farmer, your meat is definitely local. If you see the label in a

store, just ask your grocer where it was raised.

DRY AGED Dry aged means that meat, most often beef,

is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain temperature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging

allows moisture to evaporate from the meat which concentrates the flavor. At the same

time, natural enzymes in the meat break down fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that

the meat will be as tender as possible. Since cold storage space is expensive, only prime

cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-RANGE/ROAMING “Free Range” or “Free Roaming”

means that the animal had some access to the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t

guarantee that the animal actually spent any time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors

is left open for some period of time, the animal can be considered Free Range. Although the

USDA has defined this term for chicken raised for consumption, no standards have been set

for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat

that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask

your local farmer.

GRAIN-FED Industrial animal farms are reliant on corn and

soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. However, ruminants like cows have stomachs

that evolved to digest grasses and other for-age. As a result, animals fed a grain-heavy diet

often have digestive issues, poor liver health, and, in extreme cases, death. If you are looking

for meat or poultry that was raised with a sus-tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —one forkful at a time.

What’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic from a small family farmer

Biodynamic Organic

To find out more, please visit Sustainable Table at

www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

NATURAL Meat and poultry carrying the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial flavor-ing, color ingredients, chemical preserva-tives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed” and is defined by the USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product. “Natural” has no bearing on the way the animal was raised or the food and additives that it consumed.

NO ADDED HORMONESAnimals were raised without added growth hormones. By law, hogs and poultry cannot be given any hormones – so the use of the label on these meats is misleading! To ensure that other meats were raised without added hormones, ask your farmer or butcher.

NO ANTIBIOTIC USE No antibiotics were administered to the animal during its lifetime. If an animal becomes sick, it will be taken out of the herd and treated but it will not be sold with this label.

NO FEEDLOTS Feedlots are outdoor confinement opera-tions that are most often used to grain finish, or fatten up, cattle for slaughter for the last three to four months of their life. Meat bearing this label indicates that the animal went straight from the farm, or ranch that it was raised on, to a USDA certified slaughterhouse.

PASTURE-RAISED In general, pasturing is a traditional farm-ing technique where animals are raised outdoors in a humane, ecologically sus-tainable manner and eat foods that nature intended them to eat. Animals are raised on pasture rather than being fattened on a feedlot or in a confined facility.

SOURCE VERIFIED Source verified means that animals are as-signed a number ID at birth which allows it to be traced through its life, slaughter and sale. The source verification also tracks health records, feed records and genetic history. This system, however, will not indicate whether or not the animals were raised sustainably by local farmers – in fact the cost of developing such a system is often prohibitive for independent grow-ers. An inexpensive source verification alternative would be to simply buy direct from a local farmer.

SUSTAINABLE While the word sustainable does not have a hard and fast definition, truly sustainable foods are raised locally by family farmers who can ensure that the health of their animals, land and local communities are paramount in their agricultural practices. To be sure that this label meets your expectations, be sure to ask your grocer or farmer for more information about how their animals were raised.

NO MEAT/ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS Meat and poultry bearing this label should indi-cate that the animals were raised on feed that contained no by-products (beaks, bones, tails, etc.). However, unlike the organic label, this claim is not verified by any third party source.

NO ROUTINE ANTIBIOTIC USE Antibiotics were not given to the animal to promote growth or to prevent disease, but may have been administered if the animal became ill.

NON-CONFINED Animals not confined in a feedlot, and have con-tinuous access to the outside throughout their lifecycle. For poultry, check to make sure the animals were actually permitted to go outside, and not simply raised cage free in barns.

ORGANIC In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA’s organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertil-izers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal by-products) and cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture (which doesn’t mean they actually have to go outdoors and graze on pasture to be considered organic).

You want to eat better but all those labels are so confusing –

what can you do?

Carry this handy glossary with you when shopping to find the best food for you

and your family!

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

100% VEGETARIAN FEED Animals are not fed any animal byprod-

ucts. This does not guarantee they were raised outdoors or on pasture, but it

should indicate that they were raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found

on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category.

Producers feeding their animals a 100% vegetarian diet should not be giving them

supplements or additives, but it is always best to check with the farmer.

ARTISAN MEATS Artisan butchers use traditional methods

of butchering, curing, and preparing meats. Often passed down from genera-

tion to generation, artisan techniques often lend themselves to working by

hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of meat. For this reason, artisan

butchers often have close relationships with local farmers to ensure that, from

farm to plate, their products are of the highest possible quality.

BIODYNAMIC This holistic method of agriculture is

certified by a third-party agency and is based on the philosophy that all aspects

of the farm should be treated as an interrelated whole. Having emerged as

the first non-chemical agriculture move-ment approximately 20 years before the

development of “organic” agriculture, biodynamics has now spread throughout

the world. Biodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety

of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-

able and productive environment. Food labeled “biodynamic” must be certified

by an independent third party.

CAGE FREE Birds are raised without cages. What this

doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access

to outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. If you are

looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that

says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or ask your local farmer.

GRASS-FED Animals eat grasses from start to finish.

They should not be supplemented with grain, animal byproducts, synthetic

hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-mote growth or prevent disease (though

they might be given antibiotics to treat disease). Note that ‘grass-fed’ does not

guarantee that the animal was pastured or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed

animals are pasture-raised, some may still be confined and fed a steady diet of

grasses. While the USDA concurs with these standards, they are only voluntary.

Farmers and ranchers may request that their use of the grass-fed label be verified

through an independent auditing process but are not required to do so.

HERITAGE

Heritage foods are derived from rare and endangered breeds of livestock and

crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific breed of animal that is near extinction.

Production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farmers use sustain-

able production methods. This method of production saves animals from extinction

and preserves genetic diversity.

IRRADIATION Food labels that include the radura, a

plant-like logo, indicate that a product has been irradiated. When meat is irradiated,

it is exposed to very high doses of radia-tion which kill all of the bacteria - good

and bad. While many claim that irradiation makes food safer, it is useless against

such diseases as foot and mouth, mad cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of

irradiation provides little incentive for in-dustrial farms and processors to clean up

their production methods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horse

meat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other products.

LOCAL Local meats are raised as close to your

home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm raising meat for

local sale could be your backyard or from a neighboring state. If you are buying

directly from an area farmer, your meat is definitely local. If you see the label in a

store, just ask your grocer where it was raised.

DRY AGED Dry aged means that meat, most often beef,

is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain temperature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging

allows moisture to evaporate from the meat which concentrates the flavor. At the same

time, natural enzymes in the meat break down fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that

the meat will be as tender as possible. Since cold storage space is expensive, only prime

cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-RANGE/ROAMING “Free Range” or “Free Roaming”

means that the animal had some access to the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t

guarantee that the animal actually spent any time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors

is left open for some period of time, the animal can be considered Free Range. Although the

USDA has defined this term for chicken raised for consumption, no standards have been set

for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat

that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask

your local farmer.

GRAIN-FED Industrial animal farms are reliant on corn and

soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. However, ruminants like cows have stomachs

that evolved to digest grasses and other for-age. As a result, animals fed a grain-heavy diet

often have digestive issues, poor liver health, and, in extreme cases, death. If you are looking

for meat or poultry that was raised with a sus-tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —one forkful at a time.

What’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic from a small family farmer

Biodynamic

Organic

To find out more, please visit Sustainable Table at

www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

100% VEGETARIAN FEED Animals are not fed any animal byprod-ucts. This does not guarantee they were raised outdoors or on pasture, but it should indicate that they were raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn, is vegetarian and falls into this category. Producers feeding their animals a 100% vegetarian diet should not be giving them supplements or additives, but it is always best to check with the farmer.

ARTISAN MEATS Artisan butchers use traditional methods of butchering, curing, and preparing meats. Often passed down from genera-tion to generation, artisan techniques often lend themselves to working by hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a piece of meat. For this reason, artisan butchers often have close relationships with local farmers to ensure that, from farm to plate, their products are of the highest possible quality.

BIODYNAMIC This holistic method of agriculture is certified by a third-party agency and is based on the philosophy that all aspects of the farm should be treated as an interrelated whole. Having emerged as the first non-chemical agriculture move-ment approximately 20 years before the development of “organic” agriculture, biodynamics has now spread throughout the world. Biodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-able and productive environment. Food labeled “biodynamic” must be certified by an independent third party.

CAGE FREE Birds are raised without cages. What this doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access to outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or ask your local farmer.

GRASS-FED Animals eat grasses from start to finish. They should not be supplemented with grain, animal byproducts, synthetic hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-mote growth or prevent disease (though they might be given antibiotics to treat disease). Note that ‘grass-fed’ does not guarantee that the animal was pastured or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed animals are pasture-raised, some may still be confined and fed a steady diet of grasses. While the USDA concurs with these standards, they are only voluntary. Farmers and ranchers may request that their use of the grass-fed label be verified through an independent auditing process but are not required to do so. HERITAGE Heritage foods are derived from rare and endangered breeds of livestock and crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific breed of animal that is near extinction. Production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farmers use sustain-able production methods. This method of production saves animals from extinction and preserves genetic diversity.

IRRADIATION Food labels that include the radura, a plant-like logo, indicate that a product has been irradiated. When meat is irradiated, it is exposed to very high doses of radia-tion which kill all of the bacteria - good and bad. While many claim that irradiation makes food safer, it is useless against such diseases as foot and mouth, mad cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of irradiation provides little incentive for in-dustrial farms and processors to clean up their production methods. Irradiation is currently approved for beef, eggs, horse meat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other products.

LOCAL Local meats are raised as close to your home as possible. Depending on where you live, the closest farm raising meat for local sale could be your backyard or from a neighboring state. If you are buying directly from an area farmer, your meat is definitely local. If you see the label in a store, just ask your grocer where it was raised.

DRY AGED Dry aged means that meat, most often beef, is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain temperature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging allows moisture to evaporate from the meat which concentrates the flavor. At the same time, natural enzymes in the meat break down fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that the meat will be as tender as possible. Since cold storage space is expensive, only prime cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-RANGE/ROAMING “Free Range” or “Free Roaming” means that the animal had some access to the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t guarantee that the animal actually spent any time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors is left open for some period of time, the animal can be considered Free Range. Although the USDA has defined this term for chicken raised for consumption, no standards have been set for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that was raised outdoors, look for a label that says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask your local farmer.

GRAIN-FED Industrial animal farms are reliant on corn and soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed. However, ruminants like cows have stomachs that evolved to digest grasses and other for-age. As a result, animals fed a grain-heavy diet often have digestive issues, poor liver health, and, in extreme cases, death. If you are looking for meat or poultry that was raised with a sus-tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —one forkful at a time.

What’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic from a small family farmer

Biodynamic

Organic

To find out more, please visit Sustainable Table at www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

rotate fold

1. Print out the two sides of the Glossary on one sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper or, if that isn’t possible, print on two sheets of 8.5 x 11 paper.

2. If printing on separate pieces of paper, paste front and back pages together.

3. Turn paper horizontal and fold along dotted line.

4. Rotate paper to the left, flip over and fold.

5. Fold right panel and then left panel in along dotted line. Your Glossary of Meat Production Methods is now ready to use!

100% VEGETARIAN FEED

Animals are not fed any animal byprod-

ucts. This does not guarantee they were

raised outdoors or on pasture, but it

should indicate that they were raised on

grasses, hay, silage and other feed found

on pasture or in a field. Grain, like corn,

is vegetarian and falls into this category.

Producers feeding their animals a 100%

vegetarian diet should not be giving them

supplements or additives, but it is always

best to check with the farmer.

ARTISAN MEATS

Artisan butchers use traditional methods

of butchering, curing, and preparing

meats. Often passed down from genera-

tion to generation, artisan techniques

often lend themselves to working by

hand to get the tastiest flavor out of a

piece of meat. For this reason, artisan

butchers often have close relationships

with local farmers to ensure that, from

farm to plate, their products are of the

highest possible quality.

BIODYNAMIC

This holistic method of agriculture is

certified by a third-party agency and is

based on the philosophy that all aspects

of the farm should be treated as an

interrelated whole. Having emerged as

the first non-chemical agriculture move-

ment approximately 20 years before the

development of “organic” agriculture,

biodynamics has now spread throughout

the world. Biodynamic farmers work in

harmony with nature and use a variety

of techniques, such as crop rotation and

on-farm composting, to foster a sustain-

able and productive environment. Food

labeled “biodynamic” must be certified

by an independent third party.

CAGE FREE

Birds are raised without cages. What this

doesn’t explain is if the birds were raised

outdoors on pasture, if they had access

to outside, or if they were raised indoors

in overcrowded conditions. If you are

looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat that

was raised outdoors, look for a label that

says “Pastured” or “Pasture-raised” or

ask your local farmer.

GRASS-FED

Animals eat grasses from start to finish.

They should not be supplemented with

grain, animal byproducts, synthetic

hormones, or be given antibiotics to pro-

mote growth or prevent disease (though

they might be given antibiotics to treat

disease). Note that ‘grass-fed’ does not

guarantee that the animal was pastured

or pasture-raised. While most grass-fed

animals are pasture-raised, some may

still be confined and fed a steady diet of

grasses. While the USDA concurs with

these standards, they are only voluntary.

Farmers and ranchers may request that

their use of the grass-fed label be verified

through an independent auditing process

but are not required to do so.

HERITAGE

Heritage foods are derived from rare

and endangered breeds of livestock and

crops. Animals are purebreds, a specific

breed of animal that is near extinction.

Production standards are not required by

law, but true heritage farmers use sustain-

able production methods. This method of

production saves animals from extinction

and preserves genetic diversity.

IRRADIATION

Food labels that include the radura, a

plant-like logo, indicate that a product has

been irradiated. When meat is irradiated,

it is exposed to very high doses of radia-

tion which kill all of the bacteria - good

and bad. While many claim that irradiation

makes food safer, it is useless against

such diseases as foot and mouth, mad

cow and hepatitis. Additionally, the use of

irradiation provides little incentive for in-

dustrial farms and processors to clean up

their production methods. Irradiation is

currently approved for beef, eggs, horse

meat, lamb, pork, poultry and many other

products.

LOCAL

Local meats are raised as close to your

home as possible. Depending on where

you live, the closest farm raising meat for

local sale could be your backyard or from

a neighboring state. If you are buying

directly from an area farmer, your meat

is definitely local. If you see the label in a

store, just ask your grocer where it was

raised.

DRY AGED

Dry aged means that meat, most often beef,

is aged in a refrigerated cooler at a certain

temperature for up to a month. Cold, dry aging

allows moisture to evaporate from the meat

which concentrates the flavor. At the same

time, natural enzymes in the meat break down

fibrous and connective tissue – ensuring that

the meat will be as tender as possible. Since

cold storage space is expensive, only prime

cuts like loin or rib meat are dry aged.

FREE-RANGE/ROAMING

“Free Range” or “Free Roaming”

means that the animal had some access to

the outdoors each day. However, this doesn’t

guarantee that the animal actually spent any

time outside. As long as a door to the outdoors

is left open for some period of time, the animal

can be considered Free Range. Although the

USDA has defined this term for chicken raised

for consumption, no standards have been set

for egg-laying chickens or for other animals. If

you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat

that was raised outdoors, look for a label that

says “Pastured” or “Pasture- raised,” or ask

your local farmer.

GRAIN-FED

Industrial animal farms are reliant on corn and

soy as a cheap source of protein-rich feed.

However, ruminants like cows have stomachs

that evolved to digest grasses and other for-

age. As a result, animals fed a grain-heavy diet

often have digestive issues, poor liver health,

and, in extreme cases, death. If you are looking

for meat or poultry that was raised with a sus-

tainable diet, look for “Pastured” or “Grass-fed”.

Create change —

one forkful at a time.

What’s Best

Local sustainable or local organic

from a small family farmer

Biodynamic

Organic

To find out more, please

visit Sustainable Table at

www.sustainabletable.org.

1

2

3

NATURAL

Meat and poultry carrying the “natural”

claim must not contain any artificial flavor-

ing, color ingredients, chemical preserva-

tives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients,

and are only “minimally processed” and

is defined by the USDA as a process

that does not fundamentally alter the raw

product. “Natural” has no bearing on the

way the animal was raised or the food and

additives that it consumed.

NO ADDED HORMONES

Animals were raised without added

growth hormones. By law, hogs and

poultry cannot be given any hormones –

so the use of the label on these meats is

misleading! To ensure that other meats

were raised without added hormones,

ask your farmer or butcher.

NO ANTIBIOTIC USE

No antibiotics were administered to the

animal during its lifetime. If an animal

becomes sick, it will be taken out of the

herd and treated but it will not be sold with

this label.

NO FEEDLOTS

Feedlots are outdoor confinement opera-

tions that are most often used to grain

finish, or fatten up, cattle for slaughter

for the last three to four months of their

life. Meat bearing this label indicates that

the animal went straight from the farm,

or ranch that it was raised on, to a USDA

certified slaughterhouse.

PASTURE-RAISED

In general, pasturing is a traditional farm-

ing technique where animals are raised

outdoors in a humane, ecologically sus-

tainable manner and eat foods that nature

intended them to eat. Animals are raised

on pasture rather than being fattened on a

feedlot or in a confined facility.

SOURCE VERIFIED

Source verified means that animals are as-

signed a number ID at birth which allows it

to be traced through its life, slaughter and

sale. The source verification also tracks

health records, feed records and genetic

history. This system, however, will not

indicate whether or not the animals were

raised sustainably by local farmers – in

fact the cost of developing such a system

is often prohibitive for independent grow-

ers. An inexpensive source verification

alternative would be to simply buy direct

from a local farmer.

SUSTAINABLE

While the word sustainable does not have

a hard and fast definition, truly sustainable

foods are raised locally by family farmers

who can ensure that the health of their

animals, land and local communities are

paramount in their agricultural practices.

To be sure that this label meets your

expectations, be sure to ask your grocer

or farmer for more information about how

their animals were raised.

NO MEAT/ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS

Meat and poultry bearing this label should indi-

cate that the animals were raised on feed that

contained no by-products (beaks, bones, tails,

etc.). However, unlike the organic label, this

claim is not verified by any third party source.

NO ROUTINE ANTIBIOTIC USE

Antibiotics were not given to the animal to

promote growth or to prevent disease, but may

have been administered if the animal became ill.

NON-CONFINED

Animals not confined in a feedlot, and have con-

tinuous access to the outside throughout their

lifecycle. For poultry, check to make sure the

animals were actually permitted to go outside,

and not simply raised cage free in barns.

ORGANIC

In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its

producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA’s

organic standards and must be certified by a

USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic

foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertil-

izers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be

genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated.

Organic meat and poultry must be fed only

organically-grown feed (without any animal by-

products) and cannot be treated with hormones

or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must

have access to the outdoors, and ruminants

must have access to pasture (which doesn’t

mean they actually have to go outdoors and

graze on pasture to be considered organic).

You want to eat better but all

those labels are so confusing –

what can you do?

Carry this handy glossary

with you when shopping to

find the best food for you

and your family!

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT

PRODUCTION

METHODS

GLOSSARY OF

MEAT

PRODUCTION

METHODS

®

®

NATURAL Meat and poultry carrying the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial flavor-ing, color ingredients, chemical preserva-tives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed” and is defined by the USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product. “Natural” has no bearing on the way the animal was raised or the food and additives that it consumed.NO ADDED HORMONESAnimals were raised without added growth hormones. By law, hogs and poultry cannot be given any hormones – so the use of the label on these meats is misleading! To ensure that other meats were raised without added hormones, ask your farmer or butcher.NO ANTIBIOTIC USE No antibiotics were administered to the animal during its lifetime. If an animal becomes sick, it will be taken out of the herd and treated but it will not be sold with this label.

NO FEEDLOTS Feedlots are outdoor confinement opera-tions that are most often used to grain finish, or fatten up, cattle for slaughter for the last three to four months of their life. Meat bearing this label indicates that the animal went straight from the farm, or ranch that it was raised on, to a USDA certified slaughterhouse.

PASTURE-RAISED In general, pasturing is a traditional farm-ing technique where animals are raised outdoors in a humane, ecologically sus-tainable manner and eat foods that nature intended them to eat. Animals are raised on pasture rather than being fattened on a feedlot or in a confined facility.SOURCE VERIFIED Source verified means that animals are as-signed a number ID at birth which allows it to be traced through its life, slaughter and sale. The source verification also tracks health records, feed records and genetic history. This system, however, will not indicate whether or not the animals were raised sustainably by local farmers – in fact the cost of developing such a system is often prohibitive for independent grow-ers. An inexpensive source verification alternative would be to simply buy direct from a local farmer.SUSTAINABLE While the word sustainable does not have a hard and fast definition, truly sustainable foods are raised locally by family farmers who can ensure that the health of their animals, land and local communities are paramount in their agricultural practices. To be sure that this label meets your expectations, be sure to ask your grocer or farmer for more information about how their animals were raised.

NO MEAT/ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS Meat and poultry bearing this label should indi-cate that the animals were raised on feed that contained no by-products (beaks, bones, tails, etc.). However, unlike the organic label, this claim is not verified by any third party source.NO ROUTINE ANTIBIOTIC USE Antibiotics were not given to the animal to promote growth or to prevent disease, but may have been administered if the animal became ill.NON-CONFINED Animals not confined in a feedlot, and have con-tinuous access to the outside throughout their lifecycle. For poultry, check to make sure the animals were actually permitted to go outside, and not simply raised cage free in barns.ORGANIC In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA’s

organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertil-izers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal by-products) and cannot be treated with hormones

or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture (which doesn’t mean they actually have to go outdoors and graze on pasture to be considered organic).

You want to eat better but all those labels are so confusing – what can you do? Carry this handy glossary with you when shopping to find the best food for you and your family!

GLOSSARY OF MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

GLOSSARY OF MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS

®

®

www.sustainabletable.orginfo@sustainabletable.org ®