Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
100% VEGETARIAN FED P As long as "100%" precedes the words "vegetarian fed" on meat and egg products, this label indicates the animal was not fed any animal byproducts and was raised on grasses, hay, silage and other feed found on a pasture or in a field. Also, they will not have been given supplements or additives. If verified by an independent organization, this claim will be accompanied by a USDA Verified shield. the amount of shade and the type of forest in which it is grown. Often called Shade Grown, this term has little weight unless accompanied by the Bird Friendly label. SMBC supports coffee plantations that provide good bird habitats, such as maintenance of a tree canopy, diversity in tree and plant species, and establishment of plant borders around streams or rivers. nationalzoo.si.edu/ scbi/migratorybirds/coffee ALLERGEN LABELING G CAGE-FREE G The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, Fairfax, Va., states that eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions: milk, egg, peanut, tree nut (e.g., walnut, cashew), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act mandates that products containing these ingredients must declare them in plain language on the ingredient list or via the word "contains" followed by the name of the major food allergen, or as a parenthetical statement in the list of ingredients. Increasingly product labels also denote that a potential allergen may have been used in the processing of the food, or may have been processed in the same manufacturing plant as the product. foodallergy.org Denotes that birds are raised without cages. This doesn't, however, indicate how crowded or small conditions are or how much free-roaming time birds get. There is no third-party auditing of the label. AMERICAN HUMANE CERTIFIED R Formerly known as the Free Farmed program, this label provides third-party, independent verification that certified producers' care and handling of farm animals meet the science-based animal welfare standards of the American Humane Association. Standards require that animals be raised in ways that minimize stress, and include adequate shelter, comfortable resting areas, sufficient space, proper facilities and ability to express typical behavior. americanhumane.org BIRD FRIENDLY R Certified by scientists from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington, D.C., this label is found on coffee that is organic and meets strict requirements for CERTIFIED HUMANE RAISED & HANDLED R Administered by independent nonprofit Humane Farm Animal Care, this program ensures that animals raised for dairy, lamb, poultry and beef products are treated humanely and with their welfare in mind. The animals must be allowed to engage in natural behavior and be raised with sufficient space, shelter and gentle handling. Additionally, they are provided fresh water and a diet without added antibiotics or hormones, and producers must comply with a higher standard for slaughtering than required by the Federal Humane Slaughter Act. certifiedhumane.org CERTIFIED NATURALLY GROWN R Similar to organic farms, CNG farms use no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, herbicides, fungicides, hormones or GMO seeds. Livestock are raised mostly on pasture, with space for freedom of movement, and their feed is grown without synthetic inputs. Tailored for small-scale, direct-market farmers and beekeepers using natural methods, CNG, a private, nonprofit organization, used the USDA's organic standards as a starting point in developing its own certification. Its apiary standards are uniquely its own. naturallygrown.org CERTIFIED VEGAN R In response to a growing vegan market, this logo appears on products containing no animal ingredients or byproducts, using no animal ingredients or byproducts in the manufacturing process and conducting no testing on animals by any company or independent contractor. Administered by the nonprofit Vegan Awareness Foundation, also known as Vegan Action, the program relies on written statements by companies and suppliers that the product is vegan. Companies renew their certification annually to ensure no ingredients have changed. veganaction.org COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABEL R This labeling is required for beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat and chicken; wild and farmraised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts; and ginseng. It allows consumers who are concerned about lenient pesticide regulations in other countries or incidences of mad cow disease to make informed decisions about produce and meat purchases. Regulated by the USDA, COOL regulations, which do not apply to ingredients in processed foods, became effective in 2009. A dispute is pending, however, regarding the U.S.'s COOL requirements for beef and pork. In November 2011, a World Trade Organization dispute-settlement panel JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 81