DOES WHITE STRIPING AFFECT THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CHICKEN MEAT?
White striping is a quality factor in chicken breast meat caused by deposits of fat in the muscle during the bird’s growth and development. It is similar to marbling in red meat. White striping is not a food safety issue nor does it affect the welfare of the chicken.
Some research has found that larger bird sizes can affect the cases and severity of white striping in birds, but research has not identified one single cause.
When white striping is detected, not all the birds in a flock are affected, even when they share the same genetics, management, feed, environment, etc. While all of the birds in a flock have a similar size and growth rate, some are affected with white striping and some are not. “Slow growing” birds, organic birds and free range birds can all have white striping too.
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This Is What the White Striping on Your Chicken Breast Really Means
An animal activist group wants you to think twice before chowing down on that grilled chicken sandwich. A new video by Compassion in World Farming is urging meat-lovers to learn about "white striping," a muscle disorder affecting chicken breasts. According to a 2013 study published in the Italian Journal of Animal Science, the condition ups fat content by 224% and lowers the amount of protein. Research published in Poultry Science the same year came to a similar conclusion: Fat increased and muscle decreased based on the amount of white striping.
You might have noticed white striping in your meat aisle already. The condition looks like white striations running parallel to the regular muscle. According to a 2016 study by University of Arkansas and Texas A&M, "the severity of white striping has increased in recent years," identifying it in 96% of the 285 birds they tested. More importantly, the condition "negatively impacts meat quality" by affecting marinade uptake and cook loss.
The poultry scientists believe that a simple case of supply and demand is at play: The average American eats over 90 pounds of chicken every year, and that number is only going up. The market for cheap protein encourages farmers to produce bigger birds in less time. According to the National Chicken Council, the average bird sent to market in 1950 was 3.08 pounds and 70-days-old. In 2015, the average weight had doubled — clocking in at 6.24 pounds — but the average age dipped to 47-days-old.
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Here's Why People Are Freaking Out About White Stripes on Chicken Meat
Raw chicken breast meat is usually a pale shade of lightly translucent pink. But if you've been paying attention to the meat you buy, then chances are you've occasionally noticed a few extra white stripes on your protein. While seemingly harmless, an animal welfare group is advising consumers to be wary of chicken with "white striping" present, reports Buzzfeed.
What Is White Striping? White striping on chicken meat reflects a muscle disorder. It can be visually seen in the meat — the white stripes run parallel to the muscle of the meat. Studies have found the disorder to impact the taste, quality, and tenderness of the meat and its fat content.
So, What's the Problem? Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), an animal welfare group, wants consumers to know their chicken meat is not as healthy as they believe it is when it has those stripes. Those who consume chicken as a source of lean protein should know the CIWF claims, citing a study published in the Italian Journal of Animal Science, that chicken breasts with white striping have 224 percent more fat than chicken breasts without striping.
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A Weird Muscle Problem Is Showing Up In A Lot Of Chicken
A muscle disorder called "white striping" is plaguing a lot of the chicken we eat. You've probably seen many times on your chicken fillet and just ignored it — the white stripes in breast meat that run parallel to to the muscle fibers — and researchers say it has become a more severe problem in recent years. Another defect called "woody breast," which results in tougher meat, is also troubling producers, who are worried it will affect consumer demand.
A new report and campaign video by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), an animal welfare group, links these conditions to breeding chickens that grow too fast. "While the specific causes of muscular disorders like [white striping] are still being researched, the vast majority of studies conducted thus far have found a correlation between fast growth, heavier weights, higher breast yield, and the development of myopathies in broilers," the report states.
White striping, a meat quality issue, degrades the taste and nutritional value of chicken, according to the report, resulting in meat that is less tender, doesn't absorb marinade as readily, and contains more fat. CIWF also criticizes the suffering that animals experience from putting on weight too rapidly.
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Here's why you should stop eating chicken breasts with 'white striping' immediately
Chicken fillets with normal (A), moderate (B) and severe (C) degrees of white striping
Americans are eating more meat than ever. And with chicken becoming such a popular source of lean protein, it should come as no surprise that farmers are having to pump out more product at record speed. But, there's a byproduct to that.
A new campaign video by Compassion in World Farming is seeking to educate people on what the white lines in some cuts of chicken really mean.
Those white striations are an indication that the chicken had a muscle disorder called "white striping." It's not harmful for consumption, but it is telling of the conditions the chicken was raised in.
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Why you should stop eating chicken breast with white stripes
Loved for its leanness, adaptability and inoffensiveness, chicken is a popular meat all over the world.
In fact, many people actively choose to eat chicken over red meat because they believe it’s healthier.
But as a result of changing practices in poultry farming, it turns out chicken is no longer as good for us as it once was.
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Stop Eating Chicken Breast With White Striping
There’s a bit of bad news for those of you who like eating chicken breast. Are you familiar with white stripping? It’s a disorder than can affect chicken breasts. Specifically, it’s a muscle disorder that changes the fat to muscle (and therefore, protein) ratio by increasing fat by over 200%, according to a 2013 study published in the Italian Journal of Animal Science. It’s not just an isolated incident, either: similar conclusions were reached by Poultry Science in the same year, confirming the fact that white striping ultimately results in more fat and less muscle tissue.
If you regularly buy chicken breast, it’s possible that you’ve noticed this phenomenon already. Generally, consumers can expect their chicken breast to be a healthy pink color. However, chicken breast affected by this muscle disorder will be visibly distinct. Instead of a uniform pink shade, thin white stripes, typically parallel to the muscle structure, will be visible. The more severe the condition, the more obvious the white striping. Even if you haven’t come across it yet, chances are fairly good that you will soon. It seems like the number of white striping cases are increasing.
There are a number of ramifications that come with white striped chicken. As a result of the altered ratio between fat and protein, the quality of the meat is decreased overall. It may cook poorly, and ultimately, a fattier cut of meat results in a larger portion of cooking loss. In short, you’ll be getting less bang for your buck. In fact, it may be the cost of chicken that plays a role in the prevalence of white striping- namely the fact that the demand for cheap meat provides an incentive for farmers to get chickens to market faster- which means finding ways to bulk them up more quickly.
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