Label without a cause? Not in today's food stores, where many of the product stickers are more a statement of political beliefs than nutrition or taste.
You'll find "free-range" or "all-natural" chicken; "fair-trade" chocolate; "artisan" cheese; or "organic" breakfast cereal.
"Without question, a greater number of customers are choosing what and how to eat based upon political and ethical concerns," said Steven Rosenberg, owner of Liberty Heights Fresh, a Salt Lake specialty food store.
"In fact, so many people are now concerned about what is in their food, how it is raised, where it is produced and what is being added to it that the demand for local food production is on the rise."
But beware the halo effect. A lot of labels may seduce you to buy in order to feel more healthful, politically correct or environmentally conscious — but they don't always mean what they imply.
"Personally I don't pay attention to any health claims on packaging, they are so complicated and misleading," said Christi Paulson, leader of Slow Food Utah, part of the Slow Food International movement, whose goal is to turn the tide of processed, or "fast," food.
"I rely on my own research to determine if a particular product is good for my personal health," Paulson said.
One of the most nebulous terms is "natural," she said. "It could mean lots of things. High fructose corn syrup is highly processed but is still used in products that are labeled 'natural' since it does come from corn."
Under the legal definition, "natural" isn't the same as "organic," as some people may believe. And a glance at the shelves of "natural" potato chips and juices will tell you that "natural" isn't necessarily good for you.
ConAgra Foods last week launched a "natural" line of Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn. There's no neon orange fake "butter," but since 50 percent to 60 percent of this popcorn's calories come from fat, it's hardly a health food.
Since Paulson believes in "Good, clean, fair food for everyone," the labels she considers most important are "organic," "organically grown," "pesticide- and herbicide-free," "raised without hormones" and "fair trade."
But even these terms can lead to an ethical dilemma. If organic foods are shipped thousands of miles to your produce aisle, isn't using all that shipping fuel harmful to the environment?
"Organic is going to big business now and losing some of its credibility," said Paulson. "I feel that a locally grown product that uses organic methods is more sustainable for our land and community."
Here are seven often misunderstood and overhyped labeling terms.
NATURAL
USDA guidelines state, "A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color that is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled "natural." The label must explain the use of the term (such as no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed)."
For instance, Coleman Natural Products gives additional information on the label as to what makes its meat "natural": "No antibiotics, no added hormones, no animal by-products in feed, and grass fed."
However, huge corporate chicken producers label their chicken "all natural" because it doesn't contain artificial coloring or hormones. But hormones aren't allowed in raising poultry or hogs anyway.
"That's like saying caffeine-free water, or cholesterol-free margarine," said Richard Lobb, communications director of the National Chicken Council. Therefore, the claim "no hormones added" must be followed by the statement, "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."
"Generally, 'natural' is perceived that there's no hormones or antibiotics or preservatives, but there is no regulation," said Seth Winterton, the Utah Department of Agriculture's deputy director of marketing and organic program coordinator. "I think down the road, the USDA will come out with a regulation for 'natural.' Consumers will push for it, just as the organic regulations were driven by consumers."
FREE RANGE
You'd think the chickens labeled "free range" spent their lives strutting around the barnyard. But according to U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, the birds merely had access to the outdoors throughout their lives, whether they chose to go outdoors or not, said Lobb.
"The most dominant method among free-range producers is similar to what is done by Petaluma Poultry in California, where they've got a whole bunch of little portholes along the side of the chicken-house which are open during the day, and they can go out into a fenced-in area and stretch their wings, get in the sunlight or whatever," said Lobb.
"But you may have a specialty producer who just props open the chicken house door for several hours a day and calls it 'free range."'
"Free range would be important if it didn't mean that the animals only have 'access' to the out of doors," said Paulson. "If I know the farmer, then I can make a decision on whether the product is what I believe to be truly free-range."
CAGE FREE
The term "cage free" is applied to eggs, which means the hens that laid them weren't kept in cages.
Rosenberg contends that eggs from cage-free hens definitely taste better and are more healthful. But many such operations are a far cry from yesteryear's backyard chicken coop. New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle describes her visit to an organic, cage-free operation in her book, "What to Eat" (North Point Press, 2007, $16, paperback).
"Sure enough, the hens were not in cages, but many thousands of them were packed together in a crowded indoor space, flapping their clipped wings, fluttering on top of one another and clucking away. This did not exactly match my bucolic childhood experience, but the place was airy and did not smell bad, and the hens were efficiently laying eggs in the nesting boxes stacked around the edges."
In her book, Nestle advises consumers to look for the USDA Certified Organic seal on eggs, since it is better regulated. It means that they were allowed access to the outdoors and sunlight, and that they were fed organic feed.
ORGANIC
In order to be called "organic," U.S. products have to comply with standards and inspections set by the USDA's certification program:
Meat, poultry and eggs are from animals given no growth hormones or antibiotics. Livestock are given organic feed.
Crops are grown on land that has not been fertilized with sewage sludge or chemical fertilizers.
Pests and plant diseases are treated mainly with nonchemical methods, such as insect predators, traps, natural repellents and other nonchemical methods.
On food packages, the circle with the words "USDA Organic" means that 95 percent or more of the product is free of synthetic hormones, chemicals, pesticides and genetically modified ingredients; "100% Certified Organic" must be made only from organically made ingredients; "Made with organic ingredients" means at least 70 percent of ingredients meet standards and at least three organic ingredients are listed.
Companies or farms that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agriculture products are exempt. They can label products "organic," but they can't display the USDA organic seal.
"Organic is growing like crazy in Utah. We have about 100 certified operations here, including processed products as well as vegetables and fruits," said Winterton, who oversees the Utah Department of Agriculture's organic program. "About 15 to 20 percent of the nation's organic wheat is grown here in Utah."
Despite the demand, organic chicken still comprises just a fraction of 1 percent of the nation's chicken production, said Lobb. The biggest constraint, he said, is the supply of organic feed, since the price of corn recently skyrocketed.
Many farms that aren't USDA Organic certified but follow some organic methods refer to their products as "sustainable" or "natural."
FAIR TRADE
The "fair-trade" label means the nonprofit organization TransFair USA has certified that workers who grew the coffee, cocoa beans, etc., had safe and fair-labor conditions, were paid a fair wage and followed environmental guidelines.
Buyers typically agree to pay an above-market price for the products, with the extra money going to build schools, hospitals and other improvements in these developing nations.
Fair Trade certification is currently available in the United States for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, flowers, sugar, rice and vanilla (www.transfairusa.org).
The black-and-white, postage-stamp-size label says "Fair Trade Certified."
The label appears on an Alter Eco brand chocolate bar found at Wild Oats. The package says the cocoa beans were grown in Ghana, and that "By choosing this Fair Trade product, you are directly supporting a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development and environmental stewardship."
Fair-trade products usually cost more (the 3.5-ounce candy bar cost $3.99). But how much actually goes to the farmers?
In "What to Eat," Nestle cites a 2004 Wall Street Journal article that analyzed the $8.49 cost of a pound of Fair Trade coffee. Only $1.44 actually went to the coffee producer.
Even so, Nestle concluded, that's more than what he might get from the big coffee companies.
Beware of packages that say "fair trade" without the official label to verify it.
ARTISAN
Artisan products are labor-intensive, made in small batches, usually with a strong local or regional connection, often by a family-owned farm or company, with minimal mechanization. You'll often find the term used in bread, beer, chocolate, cheese and condiments.
Local examples include Crumb Brothers Bakery in Logan and Beehive Cheese in Uintah. Similar terms include "hand-crafted" or "traditional."
"Artisan" implies a higher-quality product that usually costs more. But there are no standards regulating the term, which leaves it open to marketing hype.
Last week Sargento Foods Inc. launched "Artisan Blends," which combines shredded Sargento's cheese with shredded cheese from artisan farms such as Burnett Dairy, Maple and Roth Kase, all of Wisconsin.
But the package doesn't say exactly how much artisan cheese these "blends" actually contain, and neither would Sargento's marketing rep when asked in a phone call.
"Our product formulations are proprietary," said Krista Cortese. "For competitive reasons, we don't divulge the information you are seeking."
Tim Welsh of Beehive Cheese said this isn't the first time big companies have tried to capitalize on the growing popularity of artisan products.
"Must have something to do with the price they can charge for the myth," he said.
UTAH'S OWN
Utah's Own, a Utah Department of Agriculture program, identifies Utah companies with stickers, grocery-shelf signs and a Web site, www.Utahsown.org.
Buying Utah products, such as Green River melons, Fat Boy ice cream bars or Lehi Roller Mills flour, help keep farmers in business and, in turn, helps preserve open spaces, said Winterton, who oversees the program.
"Our food sources are being replaced with rooftops and asphalt," he said. "We need to encourage farmers and ranchers so we have a local food culture. We've become dependent on foreign oil, but we're also becoming dependent on foreign food. It may be cheaper to bring it in, but is it fresher? Does it have more flavor? And did I have to haul it 10,000 miles?"
He said buying local helps maintain a safer food supply, noting the recent pet deaths caused by contaminated gluten imported from China.
"It just kills me to see fresh New Zealand lamb here, knowing how many Utah lambs we have to ship outside of the state that are more flavorful, healthier — the whole thing," Winterton said.
"We ship our Utah peaches to Arizona and they love them. Why can't we sell them in our own grocery stores? Because they (the farmers) have relationships with Washington and California."
National companies are jumping on the "local" bandwagon. Wild Oats Marketplaces have "Choose Local" signs alerting shoppers to products, such as Shepherd's Dairy cheese and Cox honey in the Utah stores.
But "local" doesn't necessarily guarantee quality or safety, said Rosenberg. "People should expect a much greater level of integrity in the food that they purchase from local growers and manufacturers, but we all must read labels and do our part to assure that what we are eating is safe."
Rosenberg's parting advice: "As a consumer, if you cannot trust the label information on a product package, do not buy it!"
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com