American shoppers face a dizzying array of labels in the aisles of their grocery stores, most designed to help them make healthy choices. Soon they’ll see yet another label – this one concerning the health of animals in the food chain. “There’s organic, there’s fair trade, but ‘humane’ is the next big thing,” said Phil Lempert, a supermarket and consumer behavior analyst. “We ask shoppers what they’re looking for, and that’s what they’re telling us.”

The increasing consumer demand, though, has already has touched off a controversy over labeling standards for meat and eggs – and has resulted in charges that some producers have misrepresented their products and practices.

The process of crafting clear and meaningful standards, Lempert said, could get contentious. “It’s going to be very political,” he said. “I also think it’s going to be much more expensive. It might increase prices 20, 30, 40, 50 percent. But you’ve got people who will pay more for the label.”

Three major supermarket chains – Whole Foods, Supervalu and Safeway – have recently pledged to boost their animal welfare standards and to inform shoppers about their efforts with new labels or in-store signs. The move comes after recent research shows that consumers rank animal welfare high on their lists of concerns. A study by the Chicago-based food industry research firm Technomic revealed that well over half of consumers believe animal welfare is among the most important social issues in the food business. A survey financed by the American Farm Bureau showed that 89 percent of consumers believe that companies that require farmers to improve animal care “are doing the right thing.”

Whole Foods plans to launch a program developed by a group called the Global Animal Partnership that will rate products on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their animal welfare standards. The program has rolled out at some Whole Foods stores in the South already but will expand to more stores early next year.

The partnership – a Washington-based nonprofit composed of farmers, animal welfare advocates, scientists and retailers – has developed a progressive “step” system that rates pork, chicken and beef from producers that chose to participate in the program. For example, a steak would earn a “Step 1” rating if the animal has spent two-thirds of its life on pasture or range land, but would earn a “5” if it spends its entire life on pasture or range land.