'Fresh,' 'free-range' & 'natural': Interpreting what's on the label

Chicken packaging has more labels these days than a Mummer's costume has sequins. Here's how to sort the facts from the flash:

Free-farmed: The American Humane Association has verified that the animals had, among other things, access to clean water and food, and that no antibiotic was used to promote growth.

Free-range, free-roaming: Poultry has had "access" to the outdoors, which could mean only that the door to the coop was left open for a few hours.

Fresh: The bird's internal temperature has never dropped below 24 degrees. Nevertheless, we've found plenty of "fresh" chicken frozen hard as a rock.

Kosher: This poultry was prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. Salt was added as part of that process.

Natural: No artificial ingredients or color were added, and the bird was "minimally processed." This isn't a helpful label, since there is no verification system.

No additives: Additives are agents such as coloring, preservatives or flavorings, including salt. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration share authority over the approval of additives in meat and poultry, but there is no standard guidance or verification for manufacturers using the "no additives" label.

Other chemicals, such as pesticides and antibiotics, can be used in producing chickens with this label.

No antibiotics: Chickens were raised without such drugs, but unless the chicken has a certified "organic" label, it is unlikely the claims have been verified.

No chemicals added: There's no standard guidance or verification system for manufacturers using this label. Antibiotics and additives are not legally classified as chemicals; presumably, they could be added by a manufacturer using this label.

No hormones: The USDA prohibits the use of hormones in raising poultry, so this claim could be used on all chickens. Birds with this boast are just crowing about following the law.

Organic: These chickens are certified as having been raised without the use of most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics, genetic engineering, irradiation, sewage sludge and artificial ingredients.

Pasture-raised: Chickens (and other animals raised for meat) roam freely in grassy pastures. For chickens, this means they also eat a diet of seeds, insects and grubs, sometimes augmented by vegetarian feed.

Source: Consumer Reports.