B.C. SPCA introduces pocket-sized guide to cruelty-free grocery shopping

The BC SPCA has released a new pocket guide to help consumers understand marketing labels at the grocery store.

The launch is part of the animal welfare organization's initiative to have people think more about the ethics of what they are buying.

On Monday, it released the guide to subscribers to its website. 

The guide provides tips on what to look for and addresses potentially misleading labels such as farm fresh, animal friendly and fair trade.

Common Misleading labels

"One of the ones that I see quite often is 'natural,' so you'll see 'all natural' or 'naturally raised,' and that's not a regulated term in Canada when it comes to the treatment of farm animals," B.C. SPCA program manager Brandy Street told Angela Sterritt, guest host of CBC's On the Coast.

Street says another common misleading label is 'free run" on chicken meat or turkey meat.

"Those [animals] are never housed in cages, whereas the types of chickens we raise for eggs are most commonly raised in cages, so almost 90 or 95 per cent of egg laying hens are in fact raised in cages."

She says the labels "free run" and "free range" are often confused. While both labels mean the chickens aren't caged, "run" refers to animals roaming free indoors and "range" refers to animals roaming outdoors.

Street says that shoppers should also be critical when they consider products claiming they are "hormone free" or "antibiotic free," since all mammals naturally have hormones.

"If you say it's raised without hormones, that's a different story. That's implying that you weren't giving those animals extra hormones," said Street.

What to look for

The B.C. SPCA  has its own expanding food-labelling program that gives consumers assurances the food they purchase comes from Canadian farms that raise farm animals to a higher set of standards, said Street.

While the SPCA certified program may not yet be common, she says "organic certified" is another label seen in stores that is also a good bet because it has "a lot of animal welfare criteria built into it." 

Finally, if you are still unclear about the animal products you buy, Street says go to your local farm and speak to the farmer.