What's a 'natural' chicken?

Monday, October 4, 2010

American chicken  producers disagree about what constitutes a "natural" chicken in their country and the federal Department of Agriculture has promised to sort it out.

Label guidelines are being reviewed after some producers, politicians and health advocates pointed out that injecting a chicken with salt water and other ingredients can increase the weight of meat by 15 per cent and double or triple its sodium intake with potentially harmful results. Perdue, the third largest chicken producer, joined a group called the Truthful Labeling Coalition, which hired a lobbyist and launched an advertising campaign.

On the other side are Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson Foods. Both of them affix "natural" labels to chicken injected with extra salt and water.

According to the Associated Press, Tyson says consumers don't mind as long as water and salt are considered "natural" by themselves. California Senator Barbara Boxer is a political champion of the review of labels. BF