‘All the labels out there’

Abundance of poultry products presents inundation of consumer choices

BY NICOLE ZEMA

Access to safe, domestically grown poultry products like chicken and eggs is a privilege beset with options. These myriad choices often mystify consumers as they compare prices for products labeled free-range, pasture-raised, organic, natural and cage-free.

Some production labels fetch a premium price. But how are those claims verified, and do premium prices imply a superior poultry product?

“You walk into a grocery store, and you’re paying $7.19 for free-range eggs,” said Barbara Haines of Hidden Springs Family Farm in Fluvanna County. “The consumer thinks that chicken is happily wandering around the farm, but that’s not what the U.S. Department of Agriculture definition means.”

Production labels are expensive for small poultry producers like Barbara and Dewey Haines to afford, especially as beginning farmers. Last year they raised their first 90 broilers in an on-pasture system, kept in mobile 12-by-8-foot enclosures rolled daily onto fresh grass. An electric fence protects their 94 egg-laying birds from wildlife predation.

Their organic farming principles and animal husbandry methods are shared with customers through conversation instead of stickers.

“Barbara went on the neighborhood app advertising extra eggs, and two or three people asked if they’re free-range,” Dewey recalled. “We had to explain to them what ‘free-range’ really means. Chickens ‘getting to go anywhere, anytime’ is not the USDA definition.”

Of all the labels out there, some claims are more closely verified than others, said assistant professor Leonie Jacobs of the Animal Behavior and Welfare Group at the Virginia Tech School of Animal and Poultry Sciences.

“It can be hard for consumers to make these choices, and they’re often in a hurry,” she said. “So it’s important to inform them clearly with short messages, but also honestly.”

The value of choice

Are “roaming outdoor” poultry products higher-quality and better-tasting?

“That can be very subjective,” Jacobs said. “There has been quantitative research using taste tests on outdoor and indoor-only birds, and some differences in meat quality characteristics were reported, preferring the birds that were raised on pasture.”

And perhaps consumers just feel better buying those labeled poultry products.

“Maybe that’s enough, if the quality difference is not identifiable,” Jacobs said. “Part of the subjective experience of choosing those products can be a value in itself.”

Interpret marketing terminology

Knowledge of production labels can empower consumers to make informed choices for their budgets.

CONVENTIONALLY RAISED:

Broilers, or meat birds, are raised cage-free in the U.S., mostly in large, environmentally controlled houses, keeping them safe from diseases and predation. Large production systems can house thousands of birds on litter shavings, with automated water and feeding systems, and socialization.

Most laying hens in the U.S. are housed in these conventional houses.

“If there’s no terminology on the packaging, it’s likely those eggs are from caged hens,” Jacobs explained.

CAGE FREE: Cage-free layers are housed in indoor-only, controlled environments that provide chickens the freedom to roam within the house. They’re not required to have outdoor access, and generally don’t. In 2020, 28% of all hens were reared in cage-free production. According to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, approximately 66% of U.S. hens must be in cage-free production by 2026 to meet projected demand. Cartons carry the USDA grade shield.

FREE RANGE: Producers must demonstrate to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service that the laying hens have been allowed outside access for 51% of their laying cycle, allotted about 2 square feet each. Bird-sized pop-holes in poultry housing allow them to access the outdoors—though not necessarily grassy turf.

“It’s a confusing term,” Jacobs said. “Access to a porch-style area is considered free-range, that’s closed off to wildlife.”

Packages carry the USDA grade shield.

PASTURE RAISED: Not defined by the USDA, poultry are raised in pastured or woodlot settings where they can roam freely outdoors, able to forage in vegetation. This can involve mobile outdoor structures that keep birds safe from predation. “Pasture raised” designations are granted from verifying bodies such as American Humane Certified or Certified Animal Welfare.

NATURAL: While no regulatory definition for “natural” currently exists, natural products typically contain no artificial ingredients or added color. All eggs meet these criteria.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC: These have a green USDA grade shield. There are three labeling categories that apply to free-range poultry and cage-free eggs, strictly regulated through the USDA’s National Organic Program: 100% ORGANIC must be produced using sustainable production practices without prohibited methods like genetic engineering. ORGANIC agricultural products must contain no less than 95% of certified organic ingredients. The remaining 5% must be organically produced in most cases. “MADE WITH” ORGANIC products are made with at least 70% certified organic ingredients.

NO ANTIBIOTICS: Poultry with this label have not been treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics may be used to prevent disease and increase efficiency in conventional farming. Before the bird can be slaughtered, a “withdrawal” period is required.

NO HORMONES: Hormones can’t be used in poultry. If that claim is made, the label must state that federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.

See more of Dewey and Barbara Haines’ pastured chicken system and egg operation on episode #379 of Real Virginia. This April episode explains egg prices and includes footage of their poultry housing.

View it here: youtube.com@ VirginiaFarmBureau

BY NICOLE ZEMA

Robert Moyer was miles from home when his alternator went kaput in January.

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Since the family’s Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. auto policy includes towing and labor coverage, he was automatically covered for roadside assistance, even out of state. Moyer made the call, and within an hour a tow truck took the car to a nearby service shop.

He’d called the 800 number in the past—like the time his SUV’s cooling system blew a gasket while returning from Myrtle Beach, or when his daughter’s car was disabled at her apartment.

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VFBMIC auto insurance policyholders who opt for towing and labor coverage will automatically receive Roadside Assistance, powered by Quest®. Towing and labor coverage reimburses expenses incurred for automobile disablements such as towing, tire changes, jump-starts, lockouts, fuel deliveries and extractions.

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Customers can simply call the Farm Bureau claims number on their auto ID card and select “Roadside Assistance” to be directed to VFBMIC’s roadside partner. Help is coordinated as a courtesy for the member, and costs are covered up to applicable limits.

If you do not have this coverage on your vehicles, or would like to select a higher benefit limit, call 888-236-7716, visit vafb.com/roadside or contact your county Farm Bureau office.

For 24/7 Roadside Assistance, call 800-452-7714.