When it comes to reading food labels we all know that it can be quite confusing and frustrating. What does it all mean? Organic, free-range, pasture raised, certified humane, the list goes on. And it seems like every year there is some new label coming out, so where do you begin?

Years ago I used to just think buying organic was all I needed to do. I’d head over to my local grocery store here in New York City. I’d pick up a packet of boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken wings, all organic of course. But then I started to notice something. Every time I would cook this store bought chicken it would make me super bloated. I wasn’t the only one with the upset stomach; my husband and my niece noticed the same thing. Oddly enough when I would purchase and prepare chicken outside of the city I didn’t experience any of this. I was totally fine. Then of course I realized NYC it a city with almost 9 million people, on one small island. Now imagine trying to produce enough chicken for that many people. Organic or not, that’s a lot of product.

When I ventured back to my local grocery store, I started to notice something else. This large and reputable store was freezing organic meat and then putting them out on the shelves without labeling them as “previously frozen.”  Some packets where slightly thawed, while others were rock solid. So when I became aware of this, I had so many questions. How long had this been frozen? Was this frozen immediately after being packaged? Or was this recently frozen and left refrigerated for days, if not a few weeks before being frozen? All of this led me on my quest to find better meat, hence how I ended up at Fleisher’s Craft Butchery.

I wanted meat that was fresh, had never been frozen, raised well and not fed garbage. Unfortunately there are quite a few butcher shops out there, but they are not all created equal. I know plenty that sell meats and poultry that are treated with antibiotics, hormones and fed non-organic diets. Just because you’re going to a butcher shop doesn’t mean it’s a good one. So I always tell people to talk to the butchers. Learn about their product and how the animals are raised. If the butcher cannot tell you where the meat comes from and how they are raised, find a new butcher.

During my quest to find a “better bird” for a lack of a better term, Fleisher’s was not only great at providing a quality option but also knowledgeable. As a chef I get questioned all the time about the quality of product I buy. My clients are constantly looking for the good stuff, but quite often, even they don’t know what the exact difference is between cage-free and free-range. Luckily Alan Bacchiochi, the shop manager at Fleishers on the Upper East Side in Manhattan was able to clarify some things for us. If you haven’t watched the video yet, hit play on the video above.

First and foremost Alan explained the difference between organic and humanly raised. Third parties certify both. Organic has to do with making sure the food that is fed to the animal is organically produced. The food they eat cannot be treated with any chemicals or pesticides. It also cannot be genetically modified (GMO). Humanly raised has to do with how the animal is raised and treated. For example they are not kept in small cages stacked on top of each other. Quite often but not always are they fed an organic diet and they aren’t treated with antibiotics. Alan put it best by stating organic tends to have more environmental concerns and raised human has more animal welfare concerns, but they are NOT mutually exclusive!

When it comes to chicken and eggs it’s common to see cage-free, free-range, and pasture raised. This has to with where the chickens spend most of their time. Cage-free means they have approximately one square foot of room around each bird and are most likely kept inside all day. Yes that’s correct, so you can imagine a lot of bird inside with not much room to move around. Free-range means the birds have at least 2 square feet of space and most likely spend a little time outside. And finally pasture raised means the bird has at least 128 square feet of space to roam freely outdoors. Depending on the environment, especially if the chickens are in an area with a lot of hawks or fox, farmers may place a tent over the chickens to protect them.

Many people would argue, and there is some science to back it up, that buying certified humane produces a better product. Think about it. If an animal is stressed out every day of its life by being kept indoors, inside of a cage, on top of other animals, and being pumped with antibiotics does that sound like a good product?

Being fed an organic diet is a great thing. Being able to roam freely outdoors and treated well is also a great thing. Organic and certified humane are both wonderful. The choice is yours. But what I love to tell people is look into the product you buy. It’s more than okay to ask questions. Find a butcher shop or a grocery store that isn’t afraid of their customers asking questions. I keep going back to Fleishers because they are transparent and friendly. They have some great information on their site at Fleishers.com I’ve also put a few other links below for those who are interested in reading more.

The above image is from Fleishers.com

https://certifiedhumane.org

https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic

Photography and video by Alejandro Leon