What the F is up with chicken?

[KoKopeLLi]

I'm talking breasts and tenderloins. Somes got 15% rib meat added, some says organic but still it writes "has no additional hormones added". Some has other chicken stock added in. Some is free range, whats that? A bigger coop? Some is plain dangerous looking, Tyson especially.

I heard chickens can now be raised without feather?

Whats the meaning of all this? Why are they putting shit in the chicken?

[RootSkier]

We try and get organic or at least free range hormone and antibiotic free. Chicken is the filthiest of meats, and corporate agribusiness chicken is seriously disturbing.

Run from Tyson, Perdue, or any of that shit at the discount grocery store unless you really just don't give a damn what you eat.

[iceman]

Okay I'm bored and I actually know the answers to your questions, so here goes:

There are several different grades/types of chicken, the labeling is closely controlled by the USDA.

First there's chicken "with up to X% of a solution containing X added" Essentially this is chicken that has been injected with water and whatever else they list. They inject the solutions because it keeps it moister when you cook it, some add flavor, but mainly because it makes it heavier and water is cheaper than chicken so they make more money.

Then there's "Natural" chicken. This is basically just chicken raised commercially. It has no added "ingredients" but the chickens can be fed certain hormones and antibiotics. They do this to get them too grow faster on less food and to keep them from dying in crowded commercial coops.

Then there's "Natural Chicken with no hormones or antibiotics". They can't keep the chickens as tightly packed in the coops because of the threat of disease and they need to feed them more to grow to the same size. So it costs more.

cont.

[bagtagley]

The way I understand it, growth hormones are illegal for poultry production in the US. The genetic freaks they use grow so fast, they don't need it anyway. They go from chick to slaughter in less than 15 weeks, and much further than that they get too big to support their own weight.

The the problem w/ typical chicken farming is the massive doses of antibiotics due to deplorable conditions and the feed, which can contain animal by-products including brain matter and feces.

[cj001f]

modern chicken is disgusting. a colourless flavourless characterless blob to reflect whatever sauce is in vogue.

still tastes damn good fried with BBQ sauce at 3am when you are hammered

[iceman]

After that there's "Organic" chicken. This is chicken whose feed has been certified as organic and which has not been fed antibiotics or hormones. Again these chickens are grown in commercial coops at lower density and the feed is the main difference. But organic feed is more expensive, so the chicken is too.

Then there's "Free-Range Organic" chicken. These chickens have access to the outdoors, they can scratch around in the dirt and shit, but they're still grown commercially, the amount of outdoor access and the amount of space each chicken gets is regulated by the USDA, you can give them more space, but not less than a certain amount.

Another difference is "Air chilled" vs. water chilled. If it doesn't say "Air Chilled" on the package it's always water chilled. Air chilled is better, water chilled chicken is put in a huge bloody tank of cold water to cool it, where it absorbs some water (making it heavier) and also is exposed to whatever bad shit like salmonella is in the water. They use chlorine and stuff to kill the salmonella but the process is far from perfect.

Don't worry about the "with rib meat" label when you buy breasts. the rib meat is the meat along the edge of the breast that you usually cut off and throw away. The companies like to sell it because they would have to cut it off themselves (labor cost) and it makes the package heavier.

Ideally you would buy organic free-range air-chilled chicken. But a reasonable compromise is natural no hormones or antibiotics air-chilled chicken. Bell & Evans is one of the largest producers of this chicken and their products are carried at Whole Foods nationally, I believe. There are other producers like Bell & Evans, I just can't think of any offhand.

There ya go.

[Brock Landers]

This is already one of the most informative threads Ive read here in a long time.



Shouldnt it be in Tech Talk though?

[iceman]

The way I understand it, growth hormones are illegal for poultry production in the US. The genetic freaks they use grow so fast, they don't need it anyway. They go from chick to slaughter in less than 15 weeks, and much further than that they get too big to support their own weight.

The the problem w/ typical chicken farming is the massive doses of antibiotics due to deplorable conditions and the feed, which can contain animal by-products including brain matter and feces.

There are certain hormones that are still allowed, which is why the USDA lets producers use the "No Hormones" claim.

You're right about the deplorable conditions and feed, however chicken labeled as "Organic" will never be fed animal by-products. Also USDA lets producers use a "Fed an all-vegetarian diet" claim if that's what the producer does, I forgot about that one. Bell & Evans uses that claim and again there are others, I just can't think of them right now.

And Tech Talk would have been more appropriate I guess. Oh well, this is the Padded Room, baby!

[Tuckerman]

Stop eating meat already! It's worse than driving a Mac truck to work everyday for the environment. Then again if you don't care have at it.

[Pura Vida]

Another difference is "Air chilled" vs. water chilled. If it doesn't say "Air Chilled" on the package it's always water chilled. Air chilled is better, water chilled chicken is put in a huge bloody tank of cold water to cool it, where it absorbs some water (making it heavier) and also is exposed to whatever bad shit like salmonella is in the water. They use chlorine and stuff to kill the salmonella but the process is far from perfect.

Ideally you would buy organic free-range air-chilled chicken. But a reasonable compromise is natural no hormones or antibiotics air-chilled chicken. Bell & Evans is one of the largest producers of this chicken and their products are carried at Whole Foods nationally, I believe. There are other producers like Bell & Evans, I just can't think of any offhand.

Air Chilled is the way to go. Chicken may be the most boring meat, but the air chilled birds are pretty darn tasty. Haven't tried the Bell & Evans brand, but if your local market carries some variety of air-chilled it's worth a try. I roasted one recently, very satisfying bird especially with some pan gravy from the drippings.

[fez]

if you can ever get a hutterite chicken or turkey, do it.
trust me.

and if you get to know the hutterites, they might give you some wine. nasty shit, but it fucks you up in a hurry.

and if you get to know them really well, they might bust out the sheet with one hole in it and let you have at one of their daughters.

[Odin]

Stop eating meat already! It's worse than driving a Mac truck to work everyday for the environment. Then again if you don't care have at it.

I'm going to go home and eat a meat salad w/ meat sauce, and a meat desert.

[Beaver]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, chicken. I raise and butcher my own birds. I feed them unsprayed mixed grains that while not certified organic is pretty much the same thing without the official seal of approval from the organic nazis. I've got 44 in my freezer that range from about 8 - 12 pounds. After eating my own chickens for 7 years grocery store chicken is blech as are grocery store eggs.

[Brock Landers]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, chicken. I raise and butcher my own birds. I feed them unsprayed mixed grains that while not certified organic is pretty much the same thing without the official seal of approval from the organic nazis. I've got 44 in my freezer that range from about 8 - 12 pounds. After eating my own chickens for 7 years grocery store chicken is blech as are grocery store eggs.

Is that what a Vagitarian is?

[ArmadaBC]

I don't think I have ever learned so much.

[bagtagley]

You're right about the deplorable conditions and feed, however chicken labeled as "Organic" will never be fed animal by-products. Also USDA lets producers use a "Fed an all-vegetarian diet" claim if that's what the producer does, I forgot about that one. Bell & Evans uses that claim and again there are others, I just can't think of them right now.

Yeah, I was refer...ing strictly to typical store-bought crap.

Wild Oats sells some decent "all-natural" chicken that's mostly crap free. Their Organic is even better, but it's expensive. Costco has some Organic breasts occasionally that I'll load up on. I'm not sure if any of them are air-dried though, I've never heard of that. I'll have to ask next time I'm shopping. I'd really like to find a good local source for mostly unmolested chicken. Any Utards got suggestions?

[cantunamunch]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, chicken. I raise and butcher my own birds. I feed them unsprayed mixed grains that while not certified organic is pretty much the same thing without the official seal of approval from the organic nazis. I've got 44 in my freezer that range from about 8 - 12 pounds. After eating my own chickens for 7 years grocery store chicken is blech as are grocery store eggs.

What?

You DON"T export the feet, heads, butts and every other non-breast non-thigh cut and dump them on Asian and South American markets?

Leaving money on the table, man...

[RootSkier]

and if you get to know them really well, they might bust out the sheet with one hole in it and let you have at one of their daughters.

Word. That shit is hot. I thought that was a Hasidic Jew thing, though?

Mad Hutterites in Montucky though, maybe I will ask a one.

Anyways, I wonder if they use chicken fat for lube, because I fail to see how the woman could get too excited in said circumstances.

[fez]

they used to bring MSU students out to the colony. too much intermarrying was making the gene pool extremely shallow.

not sure about the chicken fat thing, duck fat is very good for the skin though.

[bio-smear]

Iceman, chicken expert. Who knew?

[KoKopeLLi]

Iceman, that was some deep knowledge, not be be forgotten

Now what about those farm raised fish in china, like Tilapia? It looks innocent enough but I've heard bad things about China's water (who woulda guessed?).

if you can ever get a hutterite chicken or turkey, do it.
trust me.

and if you get to know the hutterites, they might give you some wine. nasty shit, but it fucks you up in a hurry.

and if you get to know them really well, they might bust out the sheet with one hole in it and let you have at one of their daughters.

So true, we shoot huns on their place and they are really a gentle people. They don't own guns either. We let them listen to our satellite radio for about a half hour. they gave us a few of their cornish chickens

Funny, about the the daughter thing in this chicken mutation hormone thread.

[iceman]

Iceman, chicken expert. Who knew?

heh, I used to work for a company that deals with the USDA for meat and poultry producers, so I got to know the ins and outs pretty thoroughly.

I actually got approval from the USDA for the first use of "Organic" on beef labeling, working on behalf of Mel Coleman (RIP Mel) of Coleman Ranch, that was kind of a coup at the time.

[snowsprite]

Wait, how do you know if chicken is air-chilled?

Chicken is tasty...but if I had to kill my own and dress it to eat it then I think I'd have to pass.

Sprite

[iceman]

Sprite, it'll say it on the packaging. It costs more and takes longer, so they always point it out if they do it.

[bagtagley]

I actually got approval from the USDA for the first use of "Organic" on beef labeling, working on behalf of Mel Coleman (RIP Mel) of Coleman Ranch, that was kind of a coup at the time.

I think that's the brand I get from Costco. Coleman Ranch or Coleman Farms. Thanks, Mel.