The Issue of ‘White Striping’ in Store-Bought Chicken

A brand new report from the Humane League, an animal welfare nonprofit, examined supermarkets in 29 states to see if their provided rooster breasts demonstrated “white striping.” The Humane League discovered mentioned white striping in practically each grocery store. This all prompts some questions: What’s white striping? What causes it? And what are its well being ramifications for people?

The Humane League describes white striping as a muscle illness that causes white stripes to type in the muscular tissue of some chickens, and it happens when a fast-growing muscle fiber exceeds its blood provide. A 2012 examine prompt that white striping is a byproduct of breeding chickens particularly for weight and velocity of development. One other examine, from 2016, linked white striping with one other undesirable meat high quality, a texture described as “woody.” Another research have indicated a correlation between physique weight and development weight; white striping seems to extra usually have an effect on birds which are bigger and have grown sooner.

The poultry trade denies that white striping is an issue, stating in varied interviews that white striping is an indicator of wholesome birds, well-fed birds and is usually a desired factor, considerably like fats marbling in some cuts of beef. However the Humane League as a substitute means that the stripes are indicators of a rooster that has grown too quick, unhealthy each for the rooster itself and for the eventual shopper. White striping is primarily discovered in breast meat, which is prized in North America for its low fats content material. Whereas including extra fats to rooster breast may make it style higher, the Humane League argues that it additionally makes a reduce of meat thought-about “healthy” much less so.

Research haven’t indicated, as of but, that white striping poses a well being menace. Nevertheless it does appear to be a deterrent to customers, who might keep away from probably the most clearly striped rooster. It additionally might have an effect on some cooking attributes, together with a rooster’s capacity to soak up a marinade; white-striped rooster appears to have points holding liquid, which may make for a extra dry meal.