Step 1: Picking a Chicken

Your first step in making a delicious dinner is buying the right bird. But with so many confusing claims — natural, organic, certified humane — it’s hard to sort out which one is right for you.

Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., a senior scientist and a policy analyst at the Consumers Union, in Yonkers, New York, decodes the package labels you see most often.

Natural: No artificial ingredients were added during processing. But the bird may have been fed antibiotics.

Organic: Raised without antibiotics, these chickens were given only organic feed (grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides), with no animal by-products.

Certified Humane: The chickens’ living conditions were above federal standards. They were fed no animal by-products and no antibiotics, except when ill.

Free-range: Although the term implies that the bird roamed free to eat a varied diet (which adds to its flavor), this claim does not have to be verified. To be sure the bird had access to the outdoors, look for both “free-range” and “certified humane” labels.

Kosher: These chickens were raised and slaughtered following Jewish dietary rules. Because kosher processing involves hand salting, the meat is often saltier than others.