Before You Buy Animal Products...

Thank you for visiting HumaneFacts and for your concern about animal welfare, public health, and environmental protection.

A 2003 Gallup poll found that 62 percent of American consumers favor strict controls on the treatment of animals raised for food. It's a safe bet that an even larger fraction would favor strict controls on the wholesomeness of the animal products they purchase. Producers and processors of animal products have responded by introducing a number of labels, such as "free-range," "organic," or "natural," suggesting that their products come from animals that are raised under more humane and/or more sanitary conditions.

Most labels address only the conditions under which the animals are raised. Moreover, they apply to only a small fraction of the animals' natural lives. For example chickens raised for food are slaughtered at seven weeks or nine months in human years.

It is important to bear in mind that, no matter how benign their initial treatment, all animals are transported and slaughtered under atrocious conditions detailed in the Problems & Solutions section. Only the kosher and halal labels apply to the slaughter process. They are not adressed here because they are largely ineffective or worse.

This website explains what these various labels do and do not mean. It also comments on investigation and enforcement of labeling practices and offers suggestions for more informed consumer choices.The information is arranged in four sections:

• The Labels page defines terms like free-range, organic, natural, grass-fed, no hormones, and others.Problems and Solutions describes conditions of animals in factory farms, transport, and slaughterhouses and provides recommendations on the most effective means to reduce animal suffering, improve public health and protect our natural environment.Meet the Animals highlights the natural lives of animals raised for food.

• The Resources page contains a variety of print and on-line publications.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." There are many problems in the world we can't change, but with every meal, we have the power to create lasting postive change.