The label "natural" doesn't mean "all natural."

Consumers - eager to eat more healthful foods - often mistakenly view "all natural" labels as government-backed assurances that the food is produced without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics or growth hormones.

The label implies food as close to nature as possible.

But, according to government regulations, "natural" for meat, poultry and dairy means that the food does not contain ingredients, colors or preservatives considered artificial and not natural to the product. It has nothing to do with how the animal was raised or what it ate.

"Natural can give consumers a false sense of security, because most of the labels have no meaning, no regulation behind them," said Ronnie Cummins,director for the Minnesota-based Organic Consumer Association.

"Organic" is the only label certified by U.S. inspectors, and certified products must carry a United States Department of Agriculture organic seal.

Other common food labels - "all natural," "cage free," "range free" - are simply unregulated guidelines. That said, experts recommend consumers pay close attention to labels before buying.

Here are a few of the most confusing label categories:

Grass fed: This label implies that the animal was raised roaming fields and hills eating grass and hay, but grass fed does not necessarily mean pasture raised. They can be fed harvested grasses.

The USDA recently issued a proposed standard for what grass fed must mean on meat, but not poultry, products: The animals' diets must consist of at least 99 percent grass over their lifetimes. The labeling is voluntary and requires no verification, however. For more information, see Eatwild.com, which lists about 800 grass-fed beef ranches.

Natural beef: This label means various things, depending on the producer. It can mean beef without food coloring or artificial additives. Or it can mean that cattle were raised without being fed antibiotics, hormones or animal proteins.

Free-range poultry or eggs: Birds raised for meat, mainly chickens and turkeys, may be sold as free range if they have access to the outdoors. No other criteria - environmental quality, size of pen or population density - apply.

Cage-free eggs: These birds are not raised in traditional cages, but that does not mean the birds are raised outside or allowed to run free. They can be raised on the floor of a poultry house or barn, and not be allowed to roam in outdoor pens.

Farmed fish: Also called ocean raised, farm-raised fish are raised in pens in the ocean or freshwater ponds and fed antibiotics.

Scientific studies report trace amounts of chemical contaminants in both farmed and wild fish. Environmentalists claim the amounts in farmed-raised fish are harmful, but some food safety experts claim the amounts are within acceptable limits and similar to the amounts found throughout our food supply.

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