PINK Magazine
“Skating Uphill” – PINK Magazine
By Judith Lawrenson
Article for November Issue
“If you are not blocking the aisle, you are not spending enough time reading labels!”
The Uphill Skater
Greetings from the grocery aisle at your local store. I am standing here reading the labels of various products and wondering in fascination how in the world to make sense of all of this. This did not used to be so important even in light of fat content, calories and protein. In my opinion, great importance has been added lately due to the fact that prices are literally quadruple for some of the “same” items that I regularly purchase.
To that end, I have done some research into the definitions we see on labels that have virtually no explanation attached to them. Some of these tags have very clear guidelines while others are not defined and have no enforcement agency or certification for their claims. What a rip-yes indeed, you are really skating uphill when it comes to seemingly simple purchases.
Perhaps the most frequently seen tag is 100% Organic. This is actually a legitimate designation. This means that all ingredient, processing aids, and additives, must be certified and the certifying agency is usually the USDA. (United States Department of Agriculture) The next designation is ORGANIC which is a little less well defined. These products must be 95% organic. The other 5% must be products that are on a list somewhere and have to do with washing and packaging.
The designation “Natural” usually relates to poultry, eggs and meat. This means no artificial ingredients and minimal processing. This tag is frequently seen and in fact is not really clarified. What it is understood to mean is that the product has not been enhanced with artificial ingredients or additives. This means no color injected to meat or fish, and no flavor boosters such as MSG has been added. This term is not one that I would pay more to get.
The term “Fair Trade” has nothing to do with product quality. It is usually certified by nongovernmental organizations and relates to wages, country of origin, and some non-specific environmental practices. I also do not pay extra to have this designation. My personal feeling is that I do not see the value. It is partly a personal or political statement regarding the import and or labor practices of other countries and I cannot pin down who or what I am helping by paying more. If you can, or you have a cause, most commonly it is coffee, then that is your decision, of course.
The other grocery item that we all buy is eggs. Boy, what a lot of confusion. I have seen eggs priced from $1.29 up to $7.99 per dozen. Everywhere from Wal-Mart to Whole Foods egg prices defy reason. You will see terms like Free Range, Cage Free, Grass Fed, and No Added hormones bandied about freely with very little explanation for the huge price differences. (By the way, some of these terms like Grass Fed and No Added Hormones or Hormone Free and also used in meat products. Beef, pork, chicken and even fish are labeled and priced accordingly in the butcher section.)
Generally Cage Free is the most misused of all of the “egg” terms. The chicken may not be in a cage, but they can be confined in an area that has little room for movement and limited access to food and water. The most common misuse of this term comes from eggs that are from the egg capital of the world-Petaluma California. I grew up on a farm near their so I have seen a lot chicken and egg wise. In Petaluma and other big chicken places the birds are in what they call porches. That is a large but very full screened in area. I am not saying this is wrong, just know what it means and that Cage Free is a bit of a loose term.
Free range means that chickens and other poultry for that matter are free to roam. It does not define what they eat. Many free roaming poultry are fed other animal bi-products. The top of the “pecking order” egg wise free range vegetarian fed. These eggs will cost quite a bit more, but in my humble opinion this is something that is worth it. The eggs actually have less fat and more protein. They are lower in carbohydrates too. Interesting, huh?
Finally perhaps the most vague label of all is the classic, “No Added Hormones.” My question is if there are no more hormones added, how many are there in the beginning? This designation has no certification either so do check carefully for other label info before you shell out extra grocery dollars for this type of product.
I hope this has been helpful. I now expect to see you blocking the aisle, and reading. We all have to buy groceries, but we do not have to pay for what we do not receive. Check it out and of course if you feel there is value in what you determine is your personal choice, good for YOU!
Tune in next month when we will discuss the ins and outs of poo poo and pee pee. No, whoops, I did not mean to say that. I meant to say tune in next week when we will discuss liquid intake and fiber output. There has been much discussion lately about how much water we need to drink and how much fiber we should ingest to keep our healthy bodies “on the go” so to speak. Insight will be shared into what it all means. Keep skating uphill. When you reach the top, the view is worth it!