Nutrition: Grocers and Distributors Mislabel “All-Natural” Chicken

The Department of Agriculture Food Safety Commission got a serious message about their labeling this month that implied they laid an egg.

It seems that the government agency has left loopholes in their description of what constitutes “all-natural” if you can believe, allowing grocers and distributors to pump up fresh chicken with a sodium solution with more than 822% more sodium than truly natural fresh chicken for human consumption. This makes the fresh chicken downright dangerous for those suffering from high blood pressure and other illnesses that hinge on the limiting salt intake.

The “natural” chicken also contains other nasties never found in fresh chicken such as additives. Sneaky.

The report, picked up from PR Newswire was sent by The Truthful Labeling Coalition in the form of a petition to stop the mislabeling of "all natural" chicken.

The petition states that ingredients in the "enhancing" solution be clearly visible and readable by consumers, who, when surveyed, said they had no idea there was anything but chicken in the chicken and that there shouldn’t be anything but chicken in the chicken.

Et tu, Perdue?

According to the Truthful Labeling Coalition, which is designed to inform and educate, consumers buy billions of dollars of fresh chicken each year.

That is why is is important to buy "certified organic all-natural" chicken. Harder to get around that label, although some probably do.

One "excellent chicken" to try is Bell & Evans chicken. They raise their chickens on an all-vegetable diet, without antibiotics, animal growth hormones, animal by-products, hexane gas, preservatives, artificial flavorings, fillers or extenders, or hydrogenated oils.