When it comes to ethical carnage, Whole Foods is setting the bar a few notches higher. The retail giant is a go-to for lovers of natural and organic food, and with the launch of its Global Animal Partnership, the brand holds true to its mantra “you are what you eat”.

During my latest visit to the local Whole Foods, I came across a mystery red dot on poultry packages with the number 2 on it. Puzzled by what it meant, I reached out to the butcher behind the counter who explained that processed poultry, beef and pigs were being rated depending on how ranchers and farmers treated their livestock. This is their new 5 step animal welfare rating program that tracks meat processing from conception to shelf, and rates farm businesses on a pure and ethical level, trained and certified by the Global Animal Partnership.

Scanning the shelves for the highest number, I didn’t see anything past 2. I wanted a 5. The butcher replied “We’re working on it”. Working on it? What's to work on?  He explained to me that while a 5 is rated at the top, it’s something that Whole Foods has to work its way up to through its newfound partnership with farmers. Moreover, a number 2 isn’t as bad as you would think. In fact, it’s much higher than what is in a conventional grocery store. The butcher assures me he has personally visited the farms where the livestock comes from to see exactly how it’s run and in addition to favorable conditions “a number 2 has toys”.

So how does it work? A different plan is outlined for poultry, beef and pigs during reach step of processing. The better the treatment in each step of the process, the higher the number awarded to it. With the number 2 chickens that are now available in Whole Foods, you can be sure that your hormone-free bird was raised in an enriched environment and not in a cage with animal by-products, antibiotics, and crowding completely out of the question. For more information about the Global Animal Partnership including specifics about what goes into these plans, brochures are available in stores that describe exactly goes into ethical treatment of the meat from farm to fork.