Are these products actually better for animals, and are these labels monitored for validity in any meaningful way? The answer, it turns out, varies widely depending on the label. One key thing to understand is that while many but not all of these labels require approval by the USDA, most of the standards are not enforced in a meaningful way.
To gain approval in most cases, producers need only to submit documentation defining what the labels mean for their facilities. This is another reason the ratings programs created by advocacy groups are more important — they have systems for accountability in place.
But knowing what these labels mean is nonetheless important if you want to be a more informed consumer. Since , seven states have passed laws to crack down on cages for egg-laying hens , and more than food companies have committed to source exclusively cage-free eggs by While cage-free systems provide hens with the opportunity to lead better lives than their caged counterparts , numerous welfare concerns still surround cage-free facilities.
Like caged hens, cage-free hens are often transported long distances to slaughter plants in cramped trucks with no food or water, as birds are excluded from the Twenty-Eight Hour Law , which says that animals cannot be transported in confined cars for more than 28 hours without stopping for rest, feeding, and water. The three primary animal welfare ratings programs — GAP-Certified, Animal Welfare Approved, and Certified Humane — all prohibit cages for egg-laying hens, as well as for breeding sows in the pork industry.
Fish make up the vast majority of animals eaten in the US and around the world the estimate is 1 trillion to 3 trillion a year , so improving their welfare is important and urgent. Most wild-caught fish die while still conscious, typically suffocating on ice. One study found that it takes common species of fish 55 to minutes to suffocate. Live gutting is a common practice, which can take 25 to 65 minutes to kill fish.
Increasingly, fish are being raised in what are essentially underwater factory farms, which pose a slew of welfare concerns. At aquaculture facilities, fish are raised in tanks, ponds, or sea cages and are often injured through overcrowding. Water quality is usually poor, and disease is common.
A analysis by Oceana found that almost half of the salmon sold in grocery stores and restaurants was mislabeled — farmed salmon was labeled as wild-caught. Another Oceana analysis uncovered routine seafood fraud in South Florida, and analyses with similar findings have been published by the Boston Globe and the Tampa Bay Times. To have the greatest impact on reducing suffering for fish raised or caught for food, your best option is to reduce or forgo consumption of them, considering current farming conditions and the absence of certification programs that are as rigorous as those for birds and mammals.
Space requirements and quality of the outdoor area, however, are undefined. As for other welfare labels , GAP-Certified recommends outdoor access for pigs, Animal Welfare Approved suggests continuous outdoor access for all animals, and Certified Humane does not recommend outdoor access at all.
According to USDA rules , once animals have been weaned off milk, they must be fed only grass and other forage, such as legumes and hay. The term suggests images of grazing on open pastures, so one might think it means more access to the outdoors. A cow could be fed grass indoors in factory farm conditions and still qualify. But cows fed a grass-based diet are less likely to suffer gastrointestinal disorders and liver abscesses and sometimes have more access to pasture, making them generally less inhumane than cow products without a grass-fed label.
Animals with this label can be fed only organic grass or grain with no byproducts and cannot be treated with antibiotics or hormones.
The organic label also relates to animal welfare conditions. Organic producers must allow animals to graze outside for at least days a year on pasture that meets USDA requirements. The Cruelty Free Shop carries only cruelty-free products that are Vegan. That means the product that has not been tested on animals, and does not contain any animal ingredients. Free-range, cage-free eggs and dairy products still cause the suffering and deaths of animals. When egg-laying hens or dairy cows are too old to be profitable, they are slaughtered for their meat.
Going vegan is the only solution. Veganism is the practice of avoiding harm to all animals, which requires abstention from all animal products, such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, lanolin, wool, fur, silk, suede and leather. At the Animal Legal Defense Fund, we know how important it is to bridge the divide between environmentalism and animal advocacy: choosing a plant-based diet is an action everyone can take to help the planet and help animals.
The fact is that animal agriculture—by the sheer numbers—is the leading cause of animal cruelty in the world. Worldwide, that figure goes up to an estimated 56 billion animals. By and large, the conditions in which these animals are kept before they are killed, are horrific. Choosing alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs, is therefore a key way to help animals.
Environmental concerns also recommend a plant-based diet. Our agricultural practices are not only a major source of pollution but also a leading factor contributing to climate change, as indicated by the IPCC assessment from the United Nations.
Need another reason to give up meat, dairy and eggs? Plant proteins also provide the healthiest diet. Animal-based diets mean higher cholesterol levels, more likelihood of food-poisoning incidents and an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. In short: Plant-based diets are better for animals, for our own health and for our planet.
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