
As consumers demand ever more information about their chicken, producers and government regulators have responded with labels that are supposed to take the mystique out of your bird. Unfortunately, deciphering these labels can make even the most Zen among us feel like a chicken with its head cut off. Here is our guide to truth in poultry labeling.
Because hormones are sometimes utilized in beef production, poultry producers are eager to let consumers know that their birds aren’t stepping up to the hormone bar. But since the USDA prohibits the use of hormones in poultry, the label “hormone-free,” while accurate, doesn’t set one chicken apart from another.