- Free range
- Organic
- Commercial
- Caged
- Grain Fed
- Grass Fed
- Natural
- Hormone Free
- RSPCA Approved
Let’s take one at a time:
Free range
A farming method where the animals are free to roam around outdoors for at least part of the day, without being confined in cages or other enclosure 24 hours a day. They therefore have access to sunlight and natural feed sources.
The manure of these animals can be safely used as fertilizer so is good for our environment.
A good choice.
Organic
Basically means without chemicals. So in the case of fruit and vegetables, the soil in which they have been grown has been nourished with natural fertilizers such as manure, and the plants themselves have not been sprayed with any chemical herbicides or pesticides. In the case of animals, it means that the animals have not been fed anything with chemicals, they have not been given any chemicals to ingest nor have they had chemicals sprayed around them. They have never been given antibiotics and have been given outdoor unrestricted access. Their meat is high in Omega 3 as well as Omega 6, with a nice even balance between the two. With regards to personal care items, the same goes with those; no chemicals have been used as part of the ingredients, as part of the manufacturing process or the packaging process. NB: When choosing ‘organic’ ensure that the food or item is ‘certified organic’ and not just ‘made with organic ingredients/products’. Though the food may have been grown organically, they may have been sprayed after picking or packing to preserve them, until they are bought and consumed.
The manure of these animals can be safely used as fertilizer so is good for our environment.
Certified Organic is a great choice.
Commercially farmed
Is when the vegetation has been grown using chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, the animals have been caged or confined, grain fed, and mass produced. Animals are not treated humanely, and all aspects of this farming process is not only not healthy for the animals, it’s not healthy for us humans and is unhealthy for our environment.
Their manure cannot be used as fertilizer due to its toxicity, so is also very bad for the environment, as it ends up in our sewage water.
This is the worst-case scenario.
Caged
Chickens have been bred and raised in cages in battery farms, never exposed to sunlight, grain fed with little to no access to their natural food sources. These chickens are treated inhumanely and are mass produced simply for the eggs and/or meat they provide. They are often sick due to their living conditions, living in their own filth, and die very young.
Their manure cannot be used as fertilizer due to its toxicity, so is also very bad for the environment, as it ends up in our sewage water.
This is also worst case scenario.
Grain Fed (or grain finished)
In Australia, animals are raised for 6-12 months in open grass lands feeding off their natural food source grass. After that they are moved to feedlots which have similar living conditions as caged chickens. They are fattened up with grains and matured very quickly as compared to an organic free-range, grass-fed animal that takes a lot longer to mature.
This means that the agricultural company can mass produce these animals and kill them for consumption much faster and in greater numbers than a humanely bred animal. Grain fed dairy cattle are hooked up to milking machines most of their days where they endure endless bouts of mastitis.
All of these animals are kept in their own filth, away from sunlight and natural food sources. They are usually sick because grains (soy, wheat and corn) are not their natural food source, and so their bodies react much the same as human bodies do when they eat something foreign, raising their VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoproteins) and oxidized cells. This makes this meat extremely unhealthy for human consumption, not to mention, the cruelty with which the animals are treated.
The Omega 3 levels in these animals drop dramatically after they are removed from the outdoors and grain feeding commences. This warps the balance between the Omega 3 and Omega 6, meaning for us humans, it is adding to our toxin levels, our VLDL levels (very bad cholesterol), our oxidized cells, increasing risk of disease in humans.
Their manure cannot be used as fertilizer due to its toxicity, so is also very bad for the environment, as it ends up in our sewage water.
Not a wise choice at all.
Grass Fed
The animals are left to roam free where consumption of grass is their predominant food source with ‘predominant’ being defined at least 95% of their food supply. Grass fed animals tend to be leaner, thereby not carrying as many toxins (toxins are stored in fat), have a higher balanced ratio of Omega 3s and Omega 6s.
These animals are treated more humanely, and the farming methodology also tends to be cleaner for the environment.
The manure of these animals can be safely used as fertilizer so is good for our environment.
This is a wise choice of food.
Natural
Means that the animals and vegetation do not contain any artificial flavours or flavouring, colour ingredients, chemical preservatives or any other artificial or synthetic ingredients, and the product and its ingredients are minimally processed.
This is a good choice, though there is no governing body that tests and maintains these standards. As such it is not really a very reliable way of choosing your food.
Hormone Free
These animals are not given any growth hormones throughout their lives. In Australia giving animals hormones is in fact not legal.
Not the worst choice, though you do also need to consider if this product is organic, free range, and/or grass/grain fed.
Depending on how these animals are fed and raised will determine the outcome of their manure and whether it is bad for our environment or not, as well as to the health and well-being of the animal and the health of us humans.
RSPCA Approved
Simply means that they have improved the cages and feedlots slightly to meet the physical, physiological and psychological needs of the animals. This means that their cages or confinement is slightly larger than standard battery farm cages and feedlots, they have constant access to food and water and protection from predators.
In real terms however, it doesn’t say much more than caged or commercially bred animals.
Not much of a better choice than ‘caged’ at the end of the day.
Pastured Chickens or Pastured Eggs
Refers to chickens that are allowed to walk around in open fields and woods where they forage for food. They have full access to their natural food sources which are predominantly seeds and insects, rather than grains, with the occasional small rodent or reptile if they can get them.
They go back into a hen house at night to roost, nest, and lay eggs.
The manure of these animals can be safely used as fertilizer so is good for our environment.
Best choice for chickens and eggs.
So now that you know what each term means, how can you decipher what to buy? Here is the determining scale from best to worst:
- Organic and free range and grass fed, on equal scale, Pastured Chickens or Pastured Eggs
- Organic and grass fed
- Organic
- Grass Fed
- Free range
- Natural
- Hormone Free
- RSPCA approved
- Commercially farmed, Caged and Grain fed, equal last
Now we know that the dollar only stems so far and each of us have a certain budget each week. It is all fine and dandy to say ‘if you value your health you will invest in organic 100% of the time, no matter what’. But let’s be realistic, we can value our health and still not afford to eat the way we would like to, considering the cost of living.
As such here are a few things I highly recommend you make priority as organic, if you need to compromise:
- Leafy greens, including broccoli and cauliflower
- Coffee beans
- All berries
- Butter
With meat, chicken and eggs, opt for at least free range, preferably grass fed.
With seafood, buy Australian as they are farmed in the most humane and clean waters available. Avoid buying imported seafood as these are bred in dirty sewage water.
Hopefully this will help you with your food choices, for your health, the health of the animals and the health of the environment.
- Coach Terri
