White fat stripes in chicken show healthy growth rate
The claim: White striping on chicken breasts indicates how the birds were farmed
What does the white striping on chicken mean?
A post shared to a Facebook page called “Kettle Freaks” claims it indicates how chickens are raised.
“The truth about chicken,” proclaims a Sept. 21 post. It features two side-by-side images of chicken breasts. The one on the left has white tissue visible and is labeled with the words “GROWN TOO BIG, TOO FAST.” The other image has no visible stripes and is labeled as “PASTURE-RAISED CHICKEN.”
The post was shared almost 20,000 times within a week.
One commenter asked, “Is this true?”
It’s not.
According to the National Chicken Council, white striping is caused by deposits of fat in the muscle. All the birds in a flock could have a similar size and growth rate, yet some may end up with white striping while others may not. Organic and free-range birds can have white striping as well.
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USA TODAY reached out to the user for comment.
White striping is an indicator of good health and growth performance
Deposits of fat in the muscle happen during the growth and development of the bird, so white striping is a quality factor in chicken breast meat, according to Tom Super, National Chicken Council senior vice president of communications.
Some research has found larger bird sizes can affect the frequency and size of white striping, but researchers aren’t sure why, Super said.
However, he said there is no data or research to support the claim that white striping indicates a chicken was treated poorly.
The larger birds in a particular flock are often those with white striping. This is an indicator that the chickens aren’t suffering or are under any kind of stress that would reduce their food intake and affect their growth rate.
“Birds affected with white striping exhibit good growth performance, livability and health – meaning they are eating and drinking well, Super said.
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White striping affects only a small percentage of chicken meat, according to the chicken council, and it doesn’t pose a food safety issue.
Our rating: False
We rate FALSE the claim that white striping on chicken breasts indicates how the birds are farmed, based on our research. The striping is caused by fat deposits in the muscle and indicates a healthy growth rate.
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