Misleading Chicken Labels

Next time you go to the grocery store and buy ‘natural’ chicken, it may not be as natural as you think. 30% of fresh chicken in the United States has water, sodium, and binding agents such as carageenan added. Under current regulations, this chicken can be labeled 100% natural. Another phrase that companies use is ‘enhanced’ chicken. Texas-based, Pilgrim’s Pride, the largest chicken manufacturer in the U.S., labels many of their chickens ‘100% natural’. However, about half of them also say, “enhanced with up to 15% chicken broth”. According to a media advisory from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, pumped up chickens contain about 800% more sodium per serving than natural fresh chicken. This raises several serious health concerns, especially since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans, and reducing sodium intake is one way to help prevent this disease.