This discussion of ethical foods observes that humane food labels are among the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. food industry, although there is opportunity for manufacturers to overstate or deceive the end consumers.

“American Humane Certified” (AHC) is one of a few U.S. organizations that certifies farmers for treating animals “humanely” and also producing quality foods. Independent auditors inspect farms annually, at a cost of about $1,800 for the day-long inspection. AHC covers over 600 farms in the U.S. and Canada, equivalent to 60 million animals and 65% of all cage-free egg production operations. Cage-free eggs account for about 5% of total U.S. production.