What Free Range Actually Means

The term free range refers to food from animals that have access to outdoor spaces.

What free range actually means.

In order to use the organic label the chickens must not only be fed organic feed but must also be free range cage free plus have access to the outdoors. Although organic does mean something very specific the label still doesn t guarantee the happiness of the chickens nor the freshness of the eggs. What free range should mean versus reality in the chicken industry the label free range largely applies to chickens who are raised for meat. There s always a little spin with marketing and advertising so be smart and aware when you re shopping.

Many people who buy eggs believe free range means the hens are not caged true and they are roaming outdoors most of the time eh uncertain. Despite this the newly devised national standards state that these free range facilities may have a stocking density of up to 10 000 birds per hectare and that hens should have regular and meaningful access to the outdoors but do not specify what that actually means. Free range means hens have adequate space to move around inside their houses and have access to an outdoor space where they can roam freely. It can also refer to animals who have free access to graze or forage for food.

Free range another usda term means that the eggs come from hens that have some sort of access to the outdoors. Unfortunately it is not a usda regulated term so it can mean different things depending on the brand. Free range is another tricky claim. Free range rarely means anything close to what you think it does just as fat free doesn t mean the item is free of calories or real fruit juice doesn t mean that the entirety of the bottle is fruit juice.

What it really means. In accordance with the u s. It is just one example of the different egg production. Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals for at least part of the day can roam freely outdoors rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day.

It s complicated asda is launching a new range of ethically produced milk but the free range label also found on eggs and meat can be confusing.