CHLORINE ON CHICKEN
JUNE 21, 2021
You may already be privy to this fact, but did you know that it is standard procedure for chickens to take a chlorine bath when being processed?
97% of chickens processed in USDA facilities are bathed in chlorine - even certified organic farms and their processors do it.
You see, after a chicken is defeathered, it is always and immediately put into an ice bath. This is important. It cools down the chicken immediately and reduces the risk of the chicken spoiling.
However, when you’re processing a lot of chickens, they all take this bath together. So, if there is one chicken that has, let’s say, a high amount of salmonella, it could spread the bacteria to all the chickens in the bath.
This is why the USDA demands that meat processors use an additional layer of sanitation. The most popular and widely used method is adding chlorine to the ice bath.
According to the USDA, chlorine bathed chickens are completely safe for consumption.
However, if you’re reading this, you likely want to avoid eating anything synthetic, especially chemicals like chlorine. And, you’re not alone. The EU has banned chlorine-washed chickens in European countries for concerns over safety and effectiveness.
How can you know if there’s chlorine on or in your chicken? You can’t! It’s undetectable to the human senses for 99.9% of people.
It’s not required to disclose sanitation ingredients like chlorine, soap, etc on packaging. Given the statistics, it’s pretty safe to assume that, if you purchase chicken in a store in the US, it has chlorine on or in it.
The only way to 100% know if there’s chlorine in your chicken is to know your farmer.
Ensure they use all-natural farming and processing practices. And use a more natural alternative to chlorine like Birko’s Chicxide, a blend of lactic and citric acids.
Knowing your farmer and asking questions is better than any USDA organic label.
What else could be lurking in and on your food that we’re not privy to on a label, yet are approved practices by our governing food officials . . . Glyphosate? Fertilizers? GMO animal food - which is found in their meat? Flavors? Coloring? The list goes on.
Call manufacturers and ask questions, shop at farmers markets and ask the farmer him/herself, and grow as much as you can! It’s amazing what you can do on a quarter acre of land (what do you need all that grass for anyways?).
