Meat Labels Hope To Lure The Sensitive Carnivore
The New York Times examines the use of animal welfare related labels, including “free farmed,” “certified humane,” “cage free,” and “free range,” and whether or not they appeal to the general public beyond animal lovers.
Animal welfare labels are proliferating in the food market, though the mainstream appeal is uncertain since humanely labeled meat and eggs are “as much as twice as expensive” as unlabeled products.
The increase in animal welfare labels has been partly driven by animal rights organizations, and it is also a method companies use to differentiate their products. One small grocery chain in New York said sales of meat increased by 25% since it added the “certified humane” logo, despite increased products costs of 30% to 40%. Other retailers claim that an increase in sales has not been as significant as the boost to company image.
Citations:
Andrew Martin, New York Times, 2006 United States (National)

