Don’t mind shelling out extra bucks to ensure you’re buying eco-friendly, biodegradable or organic foods and products? You may not be getting your money’s worth! While many claims are valid (for instance, independent inspectors ensure that beef and poultry labeled “certified humane raised and handled” are raised humanely), some labels are downright misleading (for instance, “free range” means that animals could be let outdoors for as little as five minutes a day and meat labeled “antibiotic-free” may still contain antibiotics). Luckily, finding out whether the green claims on your foods and products can be trusted is easy; simply plug the label name into the search engine at greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm from Consumer Reports and you’ll find out what the label really means.
[photo: erwinbackik]
