The Truth About Chicken Labels: What You Need to Know

Ever feel like food labels are designed to confuse you rather than inform you? You’re not alone. When it comes to chicken, brands slap on feel-good phrases like “Cage-Free,” “All-Natural,” and “Humanely Raised”—but most of these claims are either misleading, meaningless, or downright deceptive.

I don't believe it started this way. As people began to depend more and more on the grocery store and less on the local farmer, our government tried to put in measures to hold growers responsible. 

But like any monopolized system too big for its own britches- corruption happened. Lobbyist and bought politicians created complicated rules and expensive certifications to stifle competition while keeping the consumer in the dark.

In this blog I will cut through the marketing fluff and break down what these labels really mean (and why they might not mean much at all).

 

Cage-Free

• What It Sounds Like: Chickens roam freely, living their best life outside cages.

• The Truth: Chickens raised for meat are never kept in cages, whether labeled “Cage-Free” or not. This term is nothing more than a sneaky marketing trick to make you feel better about buying factory-farmed chicken. They actually live in one giant cage: a CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation).

 

Free-Range

• What It Promises: Chickens have access to the outdoors.

• The Truth: The USDA’s “outdoor access” requirement is laughable. It could mean a tiny door leading to a small, dirt-covered pen that chickens never actually use. No requirement for fresh grass, no regulation on how long they’re outside. It’s a loophole, not a meaningful standard.

 

All-Natural

• What It Implies: Healthier, better, less processed chicken.

• The Truth: “All-Natural” has nothing to do with how chickens are raised. It only means no artificial ingredients or colors were added after processing. Factory-farmed chicken can still be pumped full of saline (“plumping”), fed unnatural diets, and raised in horrific conditions—all while wearing the “All-Natural” label.

No Hormones or Steroids Added

• What It Suggests: Some brands use hormones, and this one is better.

• The Truth: All chicken in the U.S. is already hormone- and steroid-free by law. This label is like putting “Gluten-Free” on a bag of apples—it’s a pointless claim designed to mislead you.

Humanely Raised

• What It Sounds Like: The chickens were raised with care, dignity, and high welfare standards.

• The Truth: There’s no legal definition for this term. It’s only regulated by third party certification. So unless you read through the standards, "humanely raised” could, and more than likely still does, mean factory-farmed.

Raised Without Antibiotics

• What It Promises: No antibiotics were used in raising these chickens.

• The Truth: While this claim can be legitimate, weak oversight means some “antibiotic-free” products may not be so. On top of that, factory farmed chickens cannot even survive without antibiotics because of their unhealthy, living conditions. Recently several companies have retracted their commitment to "antibiotic-free" chicken (Chick-Fil-A, Panera Bread and Tyson). This is a lose-lose situation for everyone except for the Bigs.

 

Fresh

• What It Suggests: Higher-quality, just-slaughtered chicken.

• The Truth: The USDA defines “fresh” as never frozen below 26°F—but let’s be real, frozen chicken can be just as high-quality, if not more so than chicken kept at a thawed temperature. This label is purely about perception, not nutrition.

 

Vegetarian Fed

• What It Suggests: The chickens are fed a diverse diet of vegetables.

• The Truth: This is a deceiving label because on one hand, you don't want to eat chickens pumped with animal by-products - But on the other hand, chickens are not vegetarians. So this label means they are fed a diet of purely grain and seed oils which leads to an unhealthy and inflammatory Omega 3 to 6 ratio. 

 

Pasture-Raised

• What It Promises: Chickens were raised on real pasture, foraging naturally.

• The Truth: There are no federal regulations for this claim. Some brands truly raise chickens on pasture (like us at Rebel), but many just use the phrase without proof. If it’s not certified by your own eyes or a third party that you trust, be skeptical.

The Real Problem: Labels Aren’t Made to Inform You—They’re Made to Sell You

Most of these labels aren't about transparency—they’re about making factory-farmed chicken look better than it is.

👉 Big Food companies count on the fact that you’ll trust the words on the package.

👉 They know most people won’t dig deeper.

👉 They use feel-good terms and nature pictures to keep you from asking questions.

But you’re not most people—you’re here because you actually care about what’s on your plate.

How to See Through the B.S. & Make Informed Choices

👉 Ignore the buzzwords. Labels like “Cage-Free” and “All-Natural” don’t mean much. Dig deeper.

👉 Look up third-party certifications. Some of these certifications arose from frustration about chicken labeling - these are the ones that care about how animals are raised.

👉 Ask the hard questions. If a farm is legit, they’ll gladly tell you how their chickens live, what they eat, and how they’re processed. If they dodge those questions? Red flag.

If you want real pasture-raised chicken from a farm that doesn’t hide behind labels, you know where to find us.

Shop Pasture-Raised Chicken