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Fast-Growth Chickens Produce New Industry Woe: 'Spaghetti Meat' (wsj.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Chicken companies spent decades breeding birds to grow rapidly and develop large breast muscles. Now the industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to deal with the consequences ranging from squishy fillets known as "spaghetti meat," because they pull apart easily, to leathery ones known as "woody breast." [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source.] The abnormalities pose no food safety risk, researchers and industry officials say. They are suspected side effects of genetic selection that now allows meat companies to raise a 6.3-pound bird in 47 days, roughly twice as fast as 50 years ago, according to the National Chicken Council.
That efficiency drive has helped U.S. meat giants such as Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's Pride, Perdue Farms and Sanderson Farms produce a record 42 billion pounds of chicken nuggets, tenders and other products in 2018. Now, it's adding an estimated $200 million or more in annual industry expenses to identify and divert breast fillets that are too tough, too squishy or too striped with bands of white tissue to sell in restaurants or grocery stores, according to researchers at the University of Arkansas.
That efficiency drive has helped U.S. meat giants such as Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's Pride, Perdue Farms and Sanderson Farms produce a record 42 billion pounds of chicken nuggets, tenders and other products in 2018. Now, it's adding an estimated $200 million or more in annual industry expenses to identify and divert breast fillets that are too tough, too squishy or too striped with bands of white tissue to sell in restaurants or grocery stores, according to researchers at the University of Arkansas.
Instead of saying too long to read, how to keep the context honest and say you lack the necessary attention span to read it. Own your limitations . don't blame others, for your own deficiencies
Chickens (and other poultry) raised out of doors and allowed to choose their own favourite foods are obviously healthier, happier - and provide far tastier, more healthy meat.
The hideous fallacy of treating farming as an industry has caused an immense amount of unspeakable suffering for animals, while turning out unpleasant, tasteless meat that lacks vital nutrients - and may contain serious health hazards such as dangerous bacteria, viruses and antibiotics.
More is not always better. Cheaper is rarely better. Making very rich people even richer is not the purpose of farming.
I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.