New York CNN —Navigating the grocery aisle is overwhelming, especially when trying to make sense of food labels. Shoppers who want to know where their food comes from, or how long it will last, have to work even harder. Government agencies have strict guidelines for food safety and nutrition labels on packaged foods. But other information like sell-by dates or animal welfare labels are less regulated — and some are effectively meaningless. Here’s how to know what you’re looking at when you’re reading food labels.

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Persons: Scott Olson, “, ”, “ FSIS, Dena Jones, Jones Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nutrition, Shoppers, Government, USDA, ” Companies, Safety, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Animal Welfare Institute, Global Animal Partnership Locations: New York, Chicago