This article originally appeared on FoodPrint.
Food labels can be very confusing. Eggs labeled "natural" may sound good — we want our food to come from natural sources, right? — but the label is actually just a marketing term with no true meaning. Some, like "Pasture-Raised," suggest the animals were raised outside on grass, but do not guarantee it. Even foods that are marked with a label that guarantees certain requirements are met, such as "USDA Organic Certification", may have been produced in a wide range of circumstances: on a small family farm using sustainable methods, or on a large, industrial-scale farm, implementing the most basic of organic standards.