Just what is in that chicken nugget ?

[Ironman273]

Yes, but the quality of animals in the wild is very different to those raised in captivity. In the US animals are routinely fed growth hormones to rapidly bulk them up and antibiotics in order to survive the terrible conditions. Chicken carcasses contain more fecal bacteria than found in toilets and a lot of people have greater sensitivity to such bacteria, like children and the elderly. Humans didn't live to the age of 100 in the wild and certainly wouldn't have done so eating every part of raw animals. The issue is also complicated by businesses' desire for profits, with many employing questionable techniques (centrifuges, bone scrapers and ammonia gas, etc) to improve profitability for shareholders. Further, any parts not used for human food aren't simply thrown away but used for other products, like dog food.

 

I understand where you're coming from but I think your point is misguided.

Umm.. no, chickens are not fed growth hormones. A lot of the stuff people say as facts are just things that are "overheard" and repeated.  Even the guy who started the anti-GMO movement realizes he made a mistake and apologizes for it now.

 

Also, chicken does contain traces of salmonella because it's not made to eat raw.  The rest of the whole "fecal bacteria" stuff was alarmist BS.

[HawkMan]

Chickens are however among some breeder fed what I only directly translate as "power food" high energy food that causes them to grow extremely fast and larger than normal. I usually avoid buying those chickens and they're easy to spot. Firstly they're larger than the normal, and if you do buy them they don't taste as good and the bones in them are kinda rubbery since they have been growing to fast and are killed so young they're not properly mature.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Umm.. no, chickens are not fed growth hormones.

I didn't say they were. Growth hormones and antibiotics are predominantly used in the rearing of cattle, which is why most American beef is banned from use and sale in the EU. The routine use of antibiotics for cattle greatly increases the chances of bacteria becoming antibiotic-resistant and threatens the health of the human race - it is a reckless policy driven entirely by the pursuit of profit.

[Hum]

Yep.  How do people think they make their food so cheap?  You don't turn the prime cuts of beef into hamburger or the lean breasts into nuggets, and still keep the dollar menu around.  You take all the leftover bits that can't be made into a cut all by themselves.

And the occasional worker's thumb. :shifty:

[DeadEndAccount]

I agree but I also think prices don't really need to be where they are. I don't know why back in 1984 I could get real food for the same % expense (inflation into account) that now I get processed, but I believe it's more about investors being greedy than anything else. Population has grown sure, but so has food grown production thanks to science and chemicals.

Then it's also politics. Sell an Apple to some other country for half the price that we pay them for an Apple just to remain political friends and allies (example). Which probably more deeply also goes into our unfair tax system where companies get a break if they sell one product to whatever country.

 

My question is, would our food be cheaper if we didn't sell/trade so much to other countries? In my example of 1984, why was real food cheaper as in percentage of outcome to a family, inflation is one way to view price difference of course but our financial output in terms of percentage is certainly different but now yields less real product...I don't see why that should be other than BS politics. Chickens are cheap to raise! I know some families who save tons on eggs and chicken meat just by raising them.

 

Because the price of the raw ingredients were cheaper then which meant that the price of food was a lot cheaper. I'd argue in fact where I live our chicken nuggets have gone in the opposite direction as customers demanded better products you no longer have Apple flavoured artichokes in the Apple pies, real chicken breast patty in the McDonalds Chicken Royale and the chicken nuggets are made from chicken breast. The question should be why is it in the US that so many people are willing to purchase cheap crap and call it food when in most other markets McDonalds has gone up market in an attempt to leave the low margin high volume segment.

[DeadEndAccount]

Exactly. I believe that we need to demand basic safety and quality standards; if products need to be sold at a higher price then so be it. At some point it likely won't be cost effective for the average family to eat meat, which is why we need to invest in alternatives.

 

And in all honesty, if you're finding it too expensive then it might be an indication that you're eating too much. Eat less food of a higher quality and live a healthier life - I swear people seem to make purchases based on quantity rather than quality.

[theyarecomingforyou]

And in all honesty, if you're finding it too expensive then it might be an indication that you're eating too much. Eat less food of a higher quality and live a healthier life - I swear people seem to make purchases based on quantity rather than quality.

Exactly. Meat isn't cheap and shouldn't be treated as a right or daily necessity, especially if your budget can't afford it. This modern trend for ultra-cheap meat using incredibly questionable manufacturing techniques is very concerning. The amount of meat that people eat has increased considerably over the years.

[LaP]

"Chicken nuggets are an excellent source of protein, especially for kids who might be picky eaters,"

 

Giving a young picky eaters what he wants to avoid a crisis is the worst thing you can do for him. Give him something to eat (small portion) and if he doesn't eat then that's his problem. Once he will be hungry enough he'll eat what is on the table. Just don't force him to eat and don't dispute him if he doesn't. Congratulate him when he eats a little bit of a new meal (mixing a new meal with a known one is a good trick). The fast food way is the worst thing to do by far.

[compl3x]

Or maybe you haven't had any non homemade ones because you believe the pink slime myth

 

 

I used to eat them when I was too lazy to make my own. When I started preparing and cooking my own food I started to realise that almost everything tastes better when you prepare it yourself.

 

Taste is something you sacrifice for convenience. 

[NightScreams]

No need to get too consumed with what you eat so long as you are healthy. Plenty of die hard health conscious people out there that still get cancer and other health issues.

compl3x, on 06 Oct 2013 - 13:52, said:

I used to eat them when I was too lazy to make my own. When I started preparing and cooking my own food I started to realise that almost everything tastes better when you prepare it yourself.

 

Taste is something you sacrifice for convenience. 

 

And often worth it. My goal of eating is just to relive hunger. I don't want to make it too enjoyable an experience, I would just consume more, plus I hate cooking.

[DeadEndAccount]

Exactly. Meat isn't cheap and shouldn't be treated as a right or daily necessity, especially if your budget can't afford it. This modern trend for ultra-cheap meat using incredibly questionable manufacturing techniques is very concerning. The amount of meat that people eat has increased considerably over the years.

 

Truth be known I might eat meat (chicken, fish, lamb, venison) maybe 2-3 meals a week - you'd be surprised how much better one feels and how much money also one saves as well. There is also the environmental impact that also needs to be taken into account particularly when you consider the artificial way in which meat is 'grown' in the US where cows are fed grain and to make up for the lack of nutrition in grain the animals are pumped with growth hormones.

[Growled Member]

I make our chicken (turkey, duck etc.) dishes, including nuggets, using birds we buy from an area free-range grower. Can't beat 'em.

 

We are starting to do more of that too. The food chains will sell anything and everything. I've gotten to the point where I don't trust any of them.

[compl3x]

Not to get too far off topic, but the whole "free-range" this is a con in itself. The definition can be broad and misleading. If you think free-range means the bird is free to roam around during the day to its heart's content, then you are mistaken.

 

That form of free-range is entirely unsustainable and would not be economically feasible. 

[DocM]

The farm has been raising & selling birds for over 30 years, lots of them, so perhaps you should rethink that.

[Xerino]

What was the 4 shapes Mcdonalds nuggets came in? Wasnt it the boot, the belt, the bell, and the square?

[DocM]

Boot, bow-tie, ball and bell.

[+virtorio MVC]

I choose to believe, what the part of my brain that really likes nuggets is telling me to believe.

[remixedcat]

When you have a chicken nugget it's slime time

[compl3x]

The farm has been raising & selling birds for over 30 years, lots of them, so perhaps you should rethink that.

How does how long a farm has been running have anything to do with the unregulated and misleading term of free-range? It could be 500 years old, it changes nothing.

 

Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Typically, free-range hens are uncaged inside barns and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration or quality of outdoor access. Since they are not caged, they can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. There are no restrictions regarding what the birds can be fed. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

 

 

Source

 

Put simply, the producer decide what they think free-range means. When it comes down to it, like everything else in business, this is a cost-benefit situation. Wasting large amount of land so chickens can run around isn't practical and might not even improve living standards for the animal all that much anyway. Running around inside a shed, provided it has adequate lighting, food and water would probably be just as good.

 

I don't understand the obsession with trying to give the animal some fantastic lifestyle before we eat it. Provided you don't engage in cruelty there isn't any problem in my eyes. If people are feeling that guilty about eating it then maybe they should abandon consuming meat all together.