The Food Label Glossary

Can legally round to “0g” if a serving has under 0.5g — so several servings can still add up. The tell is “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients (banned from foods since 2020).

A third-party seal for meat and dairy from animals raised on a 100% forage diet, on pasture, never confined to feedlots and never given antibiotics or added hormones — on U.S. family farms.

Means the animal was never given antibiotics. USDA now expects producers to back it up.

What changed: After testing found antibiotic residues in ~20% of “raised without antibiotics” samples, USDA’s Aug 2024 guidance urges routine testing or third-party certification to substantiate the claim.

The federally required disclosure that replaced “GMO” labeling — it signals a food contains detectable genetic material modified in a way not found in nature.

What changed: Mandatory since Jan 2022; a late-2025 court ruling struck the refined-food exemption and QR-code-only disclosure, and USDA is revising the rule.

On eggs, hens are uncaged inside a barn and can move around — but it does not mean outdoor access or pasture. A step up from “caged,” not the top of the ladder.

An independently audited seal (Humane Farm Animal Care) with species-specific welfare standards. Its “pasture-raised” tier means 108 sq ft per hen, outdoors year-round.

Certifies biodynamic farming — organic practices plus a holistic, whole-farm approach that treats the farm as a single living system. Stricter than organic alone.

On tuna, it means the catch method did not chase or net dolphins, monitored under U.S. law — though what qualifies as “safe” has long been debated.

Two independently audited U.S. seals: “Fair Trade Certified” (Fair Trade USA) and the round “FAIRTRADE” mark (Fairtrade America, stricter smallholder focus).

On poultry meat, birds had some outdoor access (no minimum time, space, or vegetation required). On eggs it’s essentially unregulated — look for a certifier seal to mean more.

An FDA-defined claim: less than 20 ppm gluten (the lowest reliably detectable level) and no unprocessed wheat, rye, or barley. Manufacturer self-declares.

“Grass-fed” means a forage-only diet, but there’s no single binding federal standard — each claim is approved case by case. “Grass-finished” is stricter; third-party seals (e.g. American Grassfed) mean more.

What changed: USDA rescinded its grass-fed marketing standard in 2016; substantiation guidance was strengthened Aug 2024.

An FDA-defined claim — and it just got a major update. To say “healthy,” a food must now contain a meaningful amount from a food group (fruit, veg, whole grain, etc.) and stay under set limits for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.

What changed: The updated rule was finalized Dec 2024, became usable Apr 28 2025, and is mandatory Feb 25 2028.

Largely unregulated — there’s no FDA labeling definition. The only federal benchmark (a 2008 loan-program rule) is under 400 miles or same-state; retailers use it inconsistently.

A tier below the seal: at least 70% organic ingredients (vs 95%+ for “Organic,” 100% for “100% Organic”). It may name organic ingredients but cannot use the USDA Organic seal.

The blue fish label: wild-caught seafood from a fishery independently certified to MSC’s sustainability standard, with the supply chain traced.

No longer a USDA standard. If you still see it, treat it as an unstandardized marketing claim the producer must substantiate.

What changed: USDA withdrew the “Naturally Raised” standard in Jan 2016.

Loosely policed. On FDA foods it’s a marketing term (no added color, artificial flavors, or synthetics — but may still be processed). On USDA meat it means “no artificial ingredients, minimally processed,” and says nothing about how the animal was raised.

What changed: FDA opened a definition comment period in 2015–16 but never finalized one.

Meaningful on beef (hormones are legal in cattle, so it signals none were used). On pork and poultry it’s essentially meaningless — hormones are already banned — so the label must add “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.”

Often misleading. “Uncured” meats are usually cured with celery powder or juice — a natural nitrate source — so the label must add “except for those naturally occurring in…”

What changed: USDA is weighing a petition (Consumer Reports/CSPI) to bar the claim on celery-powder-cured meats; not yet finalized.

An FDA-defined claim: no sugars or sugar-containing ingredients were added during processing. The food can still contain plenty of natural sugar (think fruit juice).

The butterfly seal: the product was evaluated and its high-risk ingredients tested to avoid GMOs, with annual renewal and ongoing surveillance.

What changed: The standard is being revised toward Version 17.

On its own it has no fixed federal number and means little. It only carries a guarantee with a certifier seal — e.g. Certified Humane (108 sq ft per hen) or Animal Welfare Approved.

On meat, poultry, and eggs this voluntary claim now means the animal was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States — closing a loophole that once let imported meat qualify.

What changed: USDA finalized the stricter “Product of USA” rule in 2024 (compliance by Jan 2026).

The green-frog seal: a farm (coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas…) met Rainforest Alliance environmental, social, and economic standards, verified by audit.

What changed: Merged with UTZ in 2018; the old UTZ label is phased out.

A “beyond organic” seal: farms must first be USDA Organic, then meet added standards for soil health, animal welfare, and farmer & worker fairness. Tiered Bronze / Silver / Gold, audited yearly.

What changed: A newer certification (overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance) now on 15M+ acres.

A Pacific-Northwest eco-label certifying that a farm or vineyard manages water and land to protect native salmon watersheds. Note: it certifies land practices, not the seafood itself.

What changed: Farm standard updated to Version 3.0 (Feb 2025).

The seal means the product met federal organic standards (no prohibited synthetic pesticides/fertilizers, no GMOs) and was verified by a USDA-accredited certifier.

What changed: The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule took full effect March 2024 — the biggest anti-fraud update since the program began.

The Whole Grain Stamp is an industry mark (Whole Grains Council), not a government one. “Multigrain” only means several grains — not whole ones. “100% whole grain” is the phrase that actually counts.

Means caught in the wild rather than farmed. On its own it’s not a promise of sustainability — pair it with an MSC seal for that.