Trying to Understand Food Labels (2/2)

The U.S.D.A. is trying to decide if fish can be labeled "organic." A decision is not expected for many months. However, the MarineStewardship Council says its label promises that fish are not endangered and were caught without harming the local ecosystem.

There are also labels on coffee. Some coffee growers plant their crops on land with no natural plants to provide shade from the sun. Other coffee is grown under trees that provide shade for the coffee and homes for birds. This coffee is labeled "Bird Friendly." The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Council of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., guarantees coffee with the "Bird Friendly" label.

Other food labels include "natural," "cage-free" and "free-range." Experts say it may be harder for the food buyer to decide what these mean. For example, chickens may not have been raised in a cage. Still, they may have been in overcrowded conditions inside a building.

The Department of Agriculture will be holding meetings with food producers and the public to try to develop requirements for labels.