Call 'em on Their Claims: Look Up Labels on Your Phone

Now you can find out right there in the store using your mobile phone. iPhone owners can download Label Lookup free from the iTunes Store. All other mobile phone users can get listings by texting "lookup" plus "leaping bunny" (or “cruelty-free” or “no animal testing”) to 69866 to find out what it means and whether it's a responsible claim that is supported by tough standards.

iPhone users will see this listing, while cellphone users get a condensed, image-free response.

What about "Free Range," "No Additives," "Non-Toxic," "Certified Humane" or "FishWise"? Whether you’re shopping for shampoo or sirloin, paint or poultry, coffee, dairy, fish or produce, everyday products come bearing claims, oftentimes several.

Though all are angling to provide you information that will prompt you to buy them, many aren't worth your doing so. This is the real value of Label Lookup: To help you—the discerning shopper—distinguish a reliable claim from those that can't be counted on. New products arrive on the market constantly while old products vanish, but label claims—particularly the most meaningful—remain consistent. Learning how to distinguish the best labels in a given product category helps you make the right choice for the environment and your health whatever you’re shopping for.

Label Lookup has rated 169 claims that may appear on cleaning products, personal care products, produce, fish, poultry and eggs, meat, coffee, chocolate, dairy, paper , wood and paint. We draw from the same database used to create Simple Steps’s current web-based version, so now you can get the lowdown on labels via the internet or your phone service. The rating system sorts the claims using an easy three-leaf system to separate those claims you can trust from those you'll want to leave on the shelf:

• A rating of three out of three (represented as bright green leaves in the iPhone App) is the highest rating and means the claim is third party verified as meeting the most detailed and most rigorous standards. These claims are consistent, regulated by a governmental or other reputable body and verified by third-party inspectors. They meet the highest standards for environmentally preferable practices.
  Typical examples include USDA Organic, Australian Certified Organic and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
• A rating of two out of three means either that the claim is verified by a third-party certifier or is not verified but is detailed, clear and meaningful. These claims and labels are consistent, detailed and regulated by a governmental, non-profit or commercial body.
  Typical examples include: Certified vegan, Salmon-safe, and BDIH.
• A rating of one out of three is for claims that the product does not contain a problem substance and legal recourse is available for false advertising. These claims are often backed by a regulatory agency, but they are specific and companies that use them may be subject to prosecution for false advertising if the claim cannot be upheld.
  Typical examples include: No parabens, DEA-free and No detergents.
• Claims that receive a rating of zero out of three are not reliable as they are vague, general, lack consistent definitions and are not backed by government or other reputable bodies.
  Typical examples include Eco-safe, Non-toxic, Biodegradable.

The iPhone Label Lookup App allows you to look up claims By Label to find a quick evaluation of a claim at the store, or By Product to pick out those that meet your lifestyle needs. All evaluations are based on EPA, USDA, the California South Coast Air Quality Management District, Consumer's Union and certifier websites.