WHAT'S IN A LABEL? Marketers often play on people's fears or pull on their heartstrings to sell more products.

Much less dire, but equally deceitful, are some labeling tactics currently used to manipulate consumers into buying products that are not what they appear. Here are a few choice examples:

Free range. Unquestionably a play to our kinder instincts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has defined the term for poultry, and the reality is far from the breezy outdoor existence we'd like to believe a bird enjoyed before we sautéed it. The USDA says that free-range poultry must be given daily "access" to the outdoors. But access can mean that thousands of cooped-up chickens are offered a five-minute chance at a single, small, open door. Whether any bird actually makes it outside is incidental. It’s hard to know what's meant by free-range eggs; there's no official definition.

Cruelty free/No animal testing. Haunted by photographs of bunnies in pain, consumers may look for this label to ease animals' suffering and their own consciences. But there's no government or industry-wide definition of these terms. A cosmetics manufacturer may label its products "cruelty free" or "no animal testing" even if they contain ingredients tested on animals in the past or by other companies.

No synthetic growth hormones used. Often found on poultry and pork products, the claim is probably true, but it doesn't make a brand any better than another since federal law bans the use of synthetic growth hormones in all chicken and pork. And the same animals can still consume a regular diet of antibiotics, which are routinely used to promote growth and which can lead to bacteria that are more resistant to antibiotic treatments.

Alcohol free. This implies that a skin or cosmetic product contains no alcohol. In fact, it might be ethyl-alcohol free but contain benzyl alcohol
and cetyl alcohol, which have the very same skin and eye irritant effects
that consumers are trying to avoid. To be on the safe side, people whose skin is sensitive should stay away from products with ingredients that
end in "-ol."

I don't think for a second that product labeling ranks with covert assassination. But I do believe that words have meaning and that consumers have the right to truthful labels that help us as we search for products that we believe are better for us and, perhaps, for the world around us. For more information, check out Consumers Union's special Web site at www.eco-labels.org.

Meanwhile, buyer beware--or at least be skeptical.

Jim Guest President