Grocery stores are littered with ambiguous food labels like artisan, fresh, and humanely raised.

Some of these terms can be misleading by design, but they arent all totally devoid of meaning.

Here are some of the most confusing terms youll find in the supermarket, and what they really mean.

So basically, anyone can slap words like this on their label.

So these might cost you a little more, but at least youll know what youre paying for.

Just verify they have one of the certifications mentioned above.

Its just a label thats used to make you think other chicken and pork products do use hormones.

That doesnt mean you shouldavoidproducts labeled hormone-free completely, it just means that it isnt a selling point.

Its another label thats designed to make you feel safe buying the product.

If you want chicken and pork thats as untouched as possible, look for thegreen USDA Organiclabel.

If you see higher prices for something labeled as Angus or Black Angus, dont be fooled.

This is especially true for things like pre-frozen burger patties.

The labels we highlighted above also apply to these kinds of products.

Once again, the word access is the tricky part here.

These chickens will have access to the outdoors, butits usually a small, screened-off patioor other similar enclosure.

The same thing goes for any chicken products labeled as Cage Free.

If youre concerned about where your eggs are coming from, your local farmers market is a safe bet.

There youll be able to do your own research into which farmers use these labels honestly.

Even in the supermarket its still possible to find eggs from reputable, humane farmers.

Look for the Certified Humane, American Humane Certified, or Animal Welfare Approved labels.

Sometimes you just need to do a little research to see who you could trust.

Of course, these things dont mean that grass-fed beef isnt worth the price on occasion.

Grass-fed beef has a different, much stronger flavor that many people prefer to grain-fed beef.

It can also be leaner than grain-fed beef.

Confinement Animals are raised on pasture without confinement to feedlots.

Antibiotics and hormones Animals are never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.

Origin All animals are born and raised on American family farms.

Wild fish are fish that are caught in the wild either with nets or fishing poles.

In my store, wild-caught salmon was almost $20/lb versus the farm-raised salmon that cost $10.49/lb.

There are still plenty of benefits to wild fish, however.

Buying wild fish can give you a little peace of mind in that way.

Still others might says anything we can get to our stores within 24 hours of harvest.

The popular grocery chain Whole Foods will call anything within state lines local.

So if you see a sticker that says local, it may not be as nearby as youd prefer.

Or, if youre determined to support local farmers,check out the nearest farmers market.

Youll get great produce for great prices.

You might be able to get strawberries all year round, but they probably wont always be as tasty.

Over time youll get a feel for what produce should be purchased when.

Lastly, dont hesitate to check out local farmers markets.

If the produce in question isnt it season, you probably wont see it for sale there.

Fresh

The term fresh just sounds good, doesnt it?

And it definitely has nothing to do with whetherthe produce is organic or not.

So meat that was previously frozen can still get the fresh label.

There are actually artisan goods out there that are getting thrown under the marketing bus, though.

Is it made by hand, in small batches or limited quantities using specialty ingredients?

Does it reflect expertise, tradition, passion, a process?

Multigrain

Logically, it seems like multigrain would be better than anything else out there.

The word says it all: there are multiple grains, and that must mean that its better.

It hasmore fiber and more vitamins and mineralsthan multigrain breads.

Illustration by Jim Cooke.