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That’s pink meat, not white, in your chicken nuggets

Posted: October 4, 2010

Ah those juicy morsels of chicken meat wrapped in a crispy cover just waiting to be dipped into a sauce of your choice.

Except, it’s not actually white meat they use in those nuggets and chicken burgers.

Take a close look at the image at the top of the post. That my good people is the result of what is euphemistically called mechanically separated chicken, and that is what actually goes into all those fast food chicken nuggets and burgers.

As Michael Kindt points out in the post to go along with that image:

Basically, the entire chicken is smashed and pressed through a sieve—bones, eyes, guts, and all. it comes out looking like this.

There’s more: because it’s crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually. Then, because it tastes gross, it will be reflavored artificially. Then, because it is weirdly pink, it will be dyed with artificial color.

Oh yum!

Category: Health
Tags : , , ,
Posted: October 4, 2010
Steven Hodson

By Steven Hodson









Comments


9 Archived Responses to “ That’s pink meat, not white, in your chicken nuggets ”

  1. Tom Super
    Oct 7, 2010

    Yes — it’s true. Poultry is sometimes mechanically separated and when it is, the resulting product is called mechanically separated poultry (MSP). It is NOT true, however, that this is how chicken nuggets are commonly made. The vast majority do not contain MSP. Nuggets are usually made from pieces of white meat and sometimes from a combination of white and dark meat.

    Some processed meat products, like hot dogs and lunch meat, do contain MSP and this is stated on the ingredient label by law. This process is regulated and inspected by USDA, and if used, is included in the ingredient statement.

    Even Snopes.com has an entry about the claims in this piece. Anyone who took the time to read this post should also visit http://bit.ly/b7zg2t and http://bit.ly/cSALAM for the facts.

    Using technologies like this helps prevent the waste food, plain and simple. It is just a more technological and economical way of cutting the remaining chicken meat off of the bone.

    I ask that you update your post, instead of fueling a viral internet rumor without checking the facts.

    Tom Super, American Meat Institute, Washington, D.C.

  2. Ferdy Vazquez Jr
    Feb 4, 2012

    This is extremely gross… And another reason I avoid fast food. I just want to barf.

  3. Tony Chao
    Feb 24, 2012

    please….. take a break and start with small vegetarian~.

  4. Valerie Townes
    Mar 14, 2012

    oh my goodness.

  5. Maxwell Taylor
    Mar 22, 2012

    OhhhhPhelia

  6. Maxwell Taylor
    Mar 22, 2012

    Oh my god, gross, really?

  7. Cody Gruberg
    Apr 8, 2012

    that's fucking disgusting.

  8. Caitlin Cahill
    Apr 8, 2012

    Why do they call it mechanically separated when it's really mechanically smashed together??

  9. Erin Whitfield Daniels
    Dec 14, 2012

    Its still yummy …lol