Chicken Labeling

Pasture-raised is the label standard that corresponds to birds spending meaningful time outdoors. Cage-free chickens are not in individual cages but remain confined to barns that may hold up to 100,000 birds, offering minimal improvement in welfare. "Fed vegetarian food" on chicken labels typically refers to GMO corn and soy, which is not a natural diet for chickens, as they are omnivores. Free-range chickens have access to exit a barn through a hole, but how often they actually go outside is not regulated or disclosed. The terms "natural" and "minimally processed" on chicken packaging have no meaningful connection to how the animal was raised. The recommended purchasing standard for chicken is pasture-raised and organic, which excludes synthetic pesticides, GMO grains, and routine pharmaceutical use.