Mommy Goes Green

Antibiotic-free, biodegradable, grass fed, SLS free.  Claims we see all the time on products, yet we’re not exactly sure what it means or if it’s even TRUE!  Unfortunately, all of these claims are just that – claims by the manufacturer and not regulated or verified. GreenerChoiceshas a  great database of eco labels that you can use to find out what the labels on your favorite products really mean or DON’T mean!

For example, antibiotic-free is considered ‘unproveable’ by the USDA and cannot be used on meat products. However, the USDA does allow producers to label meat and poultry products with the claims “no antibiotics administered” or “raised without antibiotics.”   Although the USDA is accountable for proper use of these terms, there is no system in place to verify they are used correctly.

Biodegradable is a term loosely defined by the FTC – it should mean that a product is degradable when exposed to air, moisture, bacteria or other organisms and that the materials will break down and return to nature within a reasonably short time after customary disposal.  However, there is no timeline or location assigned with the guidelines.  If something is deposited in a landfill, it will take a longer time to biodegrade (if it ever does) then something that is compostable (and IS composted), for instance.  Also, just because it’s biodegradable, doesn’t mean it’s good for you or the environment.   According to GreenerChoices,  DDT biodegrades to the compounds DDD and DDE, both of which are more toxic and more dangerous than the original DDT.  Again, the use of the term ‘biodegradeable’ is not regularly monitored or verified by the FTC.

The claim, ‘grass fed’, should mean that the animal was was raised on a lifetime diet of 100% grass and forage (with the exception consumed prior to weaning), including legumes and cereal grain crops.  Animals must have access to pasture during most of the growing season, and cannot be fed grain or grain products, which can diminish the nutritive benefits of grass feeding. The standard does not exclude the use of antibiotics and hormones, which are covered under separate standards.  Verification of ‘grass fed’ is only voluntary so the only way to make sure you are purchasing grass fed products is to buy one that has been ‘USDA Process Verified’ and ‘US Grass-fed’ indicating the farm has been inspected and verified to meet grass-fed standards.

You’ll find ‘SLS free’ (sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate) labeling on a lot of cleaning and personal care products as SLS is known for its ability to foam.  The claim is not monitored or verified by any organization so it’s up to the word of the manufacturer.  Why should you care?  A specific form of SLS – sodium laureth sulfate – can have 1,4 dioxane,  a known carcinogen and one that causes cancer.  There has been a lot of media about SLS and 1,4 dioxanein the past year so I think we’ll start seeing a lot more cleaning and personal care products without SLS – good riddens!

These 4 eco labels are just a few in a long list of labels you see when shopping – I encourage to review the ones that you look for in products to find out EXACTLY what it means, what it’s supposed to mean and how to make sure it’s actually true.  I, for one, will be paying closer attention to all the labels on the products I purchase.