Kitchen Wisdom: Can we trust food labels while eating ethically?

In 2014 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission prioritised food labelling as, said then ACCC chair, Rod Sims, "Consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions that value the types of claims that directly affect the integrity of the product, such as where or how something was made, grown or produced".

So how can you choose between labels which might include organic, free-range, grass-fed, grain-fed, biodynamic and RSPCA approved and what do they all mean?

Organic and biodynamic: Organic food is grown and produced without the use of synthetic chemicals (such as pesticides or artificial fertilisers) and is free from genetically modified components and exposure to food irradiation. Animal welfare is addressed - the chickens are free range and cows aren't kept in feed lots, for example, and animals aren't fed growth-regulating drugs, steroids, hormones or antibiotics. Biodynamic farming incorporates these principles, with additional emphasis on soil health. The trouble is organic certification is not legally required for a product supplied in Australia to be described as organic. Find out more information about the producer before you make a choice.

Free range: There is no legislation covering free range labelling in Australia. The closest we have to an official definition of free range comes from the federal government's Model Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Livestock, which contains separate codes for poultry, pigs, cattle and sheep, plus other animals. The codes set out the minimum animal farming standards that producers are legally obliged to comply with.

RSCPA approved: Since 1996 the RSPCA has been working with farmers, brand owners and retailers to approve hundreds of humanely farmed products. Laying hens, pigs, chickens, turkeys, salmon and dairy veal calves are all covered by a series of assessments and inspections to ensure farming practice complies.