Forget organic, here’s the chicken label I’m looking for

Chicken is the most popular meat in America, and has been for decades. All this demand has given rise to some questionable farming practices, making clear labeling particularly important for people looking for a higher standard of poultry.

Just a stroll through supermarket or look for any online chicken retailer, shows a dizzying number of labels and ratings stamped on poultry packages, and they are not obvious. Some mean very little about the internal product, some mean a lot, and some are simply marketing terms that mean nothing.

So what’s the best chicken label to look for? For me, it’s “humanely raised” or “human certificate“as this means the chicken was treated with care. It does not refer to the diet a bird was fed, but certified humane farms generally have higher feeding standards to follow strict animal care guidelines.

Here, I’ll break down the most common chicken labels—Grade A, organic, cage-free, all-natural, and humanely raised, to name a few—so you can shop smarter, separate the important designations from the marketing nonsense, and get the best chicken at the best price.

First, it is important to know that every chicken packaging label must be submitted to and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As you may already know, millions of dollars are spent every year on behalf of major chicken producers to lobby for more lenient – ​​and in some cases, stricter – labeling. This all means: these labels should be taken with a certain degree of skepticism.

Different Chicken Labels and What They Mean

Chicken notes

These USDA signifiers are typically not advertised as loudly as other labels, but they are present on all packages for both whole chicken and parts. After inspection, the chicken receives a grade of A, B or C from the Agricultural Marketing Service, the arm of the USDA that inspects poultry and other agricultural products. Poultry grade refers to the overall quality of the bird, including the softness and roundness of the meat, consistency of the skin and cleanliness of the bird as a whole (presence of feathers, discoloration or tears in the skin), with grade A being the best. Here’s a more complete breakdown from the USDA on what each category of chicken means.

Organic Chicken

The “organic” label is a good one to look out for, but keep in mind that it only means that the chickens were fed a certified organic diet and often – but not always – means that the agricultural practices used in feeding the birds are improved. Organic chicken is always free-range (the bird has access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day) and did not receive routine antibiotics.

Furthermore, the organic chicken label does not signal anything about the chicken’s quality of life or humane practices during its life, transport or slaughter. In many cases, organic chickens can still experience some of the most egregious practices of factory farming.

Antibiotic-free chicken

The use – or not – of antibiotics is one of the most controversial labels given to chicken. Much of the chicken you see for sale in supermarkets bears an “antibiotic-free” or “raised without antibiotics” label. This means the chickens weren’t routinely given preventive antibiotics, which many consider harmful, but it doesn’t mean they weren’t given antibiotics if they got sick.

While the overuse of antibiotics can be problematic, some within the industry argue that there has been a massive overcorrection through pressure from animal rights groups to primarily eliminate antibiotics from poultry farming, as they are a key tool for maintaining large healthy bird populations when used correctly. This correction is largely due to the excessive and chronic use of preventive antibiotics. Nowadays, all antibiotics must be considered necessary and prescribed by a veterinarian before being administered.

No added hormones or steroids

This label means very little since FDA law prohibits any use of steroids or added hormones. If a poultry brand is promoting this as its big claim, there’s a good chance it’s distracting you from those who are not there.

All-natural chicken

This is a marketing term and means nothing. There are no requirements for a chicken to be labeled as all-natural; if you see it, you should probably assume it’s nothing like that.

Labels relating to the treatment of chickens

Animal welfare approved chicken

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, this is the most stringent label given to birds based on general humane practices. AWA chickens are audited annually to ensure the birds have adequate indoor and outdoor space, breed health requirements, natural light and a maximum transport time of four hours.

Certified Humane Chicken

This label also represents a significant improvement over conventional standards. It means access to the outdoors for ruminants, pigs and poultry when accompanied by the words “free range” or “pasture raised”. This label means that the chickens are raised with most but not all of the same AWA requirements, including no natural light required and slightly less stringent breed health requirements. Compliance audits for this label are also required once a year.

Animal welfare certified chicken

This six-tier classification program for animals raised for meat and eggs is a bit more complex. According to the ASPCA, each successive level represents progressively higher well-being and includes all the requirements of those below it. Cage confinement, hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited at all levels, standards extend to transport and slaughter, and compliance is verified every 15 months through audits.

Pasture-raised chicken

Because there is no legal definition of this term, “pasture-raised” is difficult to verify, although it implies that the birds spent significant time outdoors and on pasture. The USDA requires that chicken labels be “accurate,” but without formal guidelines, this has a lot of leeway.

Free range chicken

This is another label you’ve probably seen on egg cartons and packages of chicken that is misleading when you look at the criteria. “Free range” indicates that the chickens have had access to the outdoors, but there are very few requirements for the amount or size of that outdoor space. In many cases, chicken coops are set up in such a way that the chickens do not even use the outside space.

Cage-free chicken

This almost meaningless label is probably distracting if you see it front and center on a package of chicken. This is because no broiler chickens can be raised in cages and must instead be kept in large sheds. This distinction is notable, however, when talking about eggs, since laying hens can be and are often raised in cages.

For more information about labels regarding the humane treatment of chicken, check out this chicken labeling chart from the ASPCA.