vegansaurus!

» Lifehacker's common sense guide to "organic" and other food labels

Just because as vegans we’re all smart and stuff about food labels, doesn’t mean everyone else is. When polled, more people trust food labels with the word “natural” than people who trust the word “organic,” which is crazy. “Organic” is the word that’s actually regulated by governments, while “natural” is marketing fluff that anyone can print on a label, even if you’re selling Dupont’s All-Natural Diesel Crisps.

So Lifehacker put together a handy guide on food labels and certifications, including a breakdown of the different grades of USDA Organic, a list of certifiers you should trust, and this really useful eco-labels verifier from Consumer Reports. You’ll be unsurprised to know that words like “free range,” “free-roaming,” “hormone-free,” and “antibiotic-free” are as meaningless as “tastes better!” and “kids love it!” but people trust them anyway. Send this one around—though I can’t help wonder how much of it is actual confusion and how much of it is wishful thinking.