US: Farm Sanctuary releases report on “humane” meat labels – (from a press release)

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, today released a new report that thoroughly evaluates the animal welfare claims made by agribusiness industry groups, food retailers and third-party certification organizations. As the most comprehensive report of its kind, “The Truth Behind the Labels: Farm Animal Welfare Standards and Labeling Practices” analyzes the criteria used to define such commonly-used marketing phrases as “humane,” “free range” and “naturally raised.”
As more consumers have learned about the animal welfare concerns related to factory farms, they have increasingly demanded that farm animals receive better treatment. They have also shown that they are willing to pay a premium for meat, milk and eggs from so-called “humane” farms. This growing demand has led to the creation of more than a dozen animal welfare assurance schemes sponsored by industry groups, food retailers and third-party organic and humane certification organizations. Government-regulated animal welfare [...]

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http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=32754