Say "knock knock."

But the results are the same. So they are the same thing.

Why not? We pay bone prices for chicken when we buy it whole.

True enough. He should have just requested less stupidity which would have also solved the problem.

I just want to talk about the dishonesty in advertising. Is tokay for companies to be dishonest about what is in their food that remains unadvertised?
Is this trend of dishonesty all about keeping market share? And would you buy it if the packaging said 85% chicken; 15% water and salt (may contain E-Coli)?
This also applies the shrink ray. People search harder for bargains in a global recession. 'Rip Off' companies who have applied the shrink ray will be avoided like the plague once their competitors catch on, and start using a 'growth ray' i.e. giving us more product for the same price..

@nybiker: You see, this is what happens when you fast-forward past the commercials. You forget what brands you buy. I confused the Tyson already-cooked chicken fillets (The teriyaki flavored ones) with the brand for these packages. It turns out I bought Perdue chicken breasts. The packaging indicates "Less than 1% retained water." Is that ok?

Great, I just finished cooking a 6-pack of 2-breasts-per-pack of Tyson Chicken Breasts. I cook 'em in the oven in a pyrex dish with tomato sauce. Tasted great. But now I'll go look at the label on the remaining 4 6-packs (oh the joy of shopping once a month at BJ's!).
I hope they aren't full of water.

@HiPwr: You weren't the only one.

if we all minded our own business, there wouldn't be any comments, would there?

Further, don't hate on someone because they personally choose to eat stuff that's less messed with. You can eat all the crappy, industrially messed-with food you want, and I promise you I won't think twice about the decision you've made.

@maciejb: Not true. Foster Farms doesn't plump and boneless, skinless breasts can be had for less than $3.49 ($2.99 at Costco); thighs and the like even less than that-- and they are certainly not less juicy than their enhanced counterparts. In any case, why would a lack of plumping the chicken result in a higher per pound price? What would be the justification? You're already getting more money from consumers than you rightfully ought to be right now, so what would be the reason besides finding some other way to shamelessly line your pockets?

It might not be a "secret" that most manufacturers do this, but if they're not ashamed of it and feel perfectly justified in what they're doing then perhaps they should describe it with a larger font on the packages so people are more likely to see it before they get it home, so they can have an easier time of deciding for themselves if that's what they really want. You know, cause it's not gross or deceptive or anything, it's just "pre-tenderized". And Lucky Strikes are toasted.

@bobloblawsblog: you need to mind your own biz instead of making yourself look ignorant. read the first line of this definition

"Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation....The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating."

Your SO right!

The nation's poorest should start buying organic, cage free, GMO free, corn fed, local, heritage breed, Amish raised, fairy kissed chickens immediately at 5x cost per pound because it's the right thing to do...

Get off your high horse, quit mindlessly reading PITA-esque propaganda and think about why we have some of the lowest food costs in world before spewing your elitist garbage.

You could argue all day about what's natural and what isn't; but it doesn't matter what concentration they were in, if it were 50% saltwater, 50% chicken, it wouldn't harm you, other than basically being chicken soup, whereas the uranium would be about the same toxicity as lead.

The bottom line is, we as consumers need to stop trusting labels that say "all natural", "whole wheat", and other such feel-good monikers used by the industry and just look at the damn ingredients. They're not going to go out of their way to point out what they don't want us to see. Why companies using only good stuff in their food don't put "INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN" more prominently on their packaging is beyond me

Yes, but these breasts grill awesome! I prefer the extra brine soluation. It's hard to overcook these on the grill. They come out perfect everytime.

@ludwigk: are you sure about brining not adding water to the chicken? it was my understanding that the higher salt content of the chicken would draw water into the chicken, thus making it juicier. it makes it juicier whatever the physics behind it is

@Xerloq: Made me smirk.

This process is different, because it forces/injects additional water into the chicken, which then binds to the meat, creating a heavier (read: more expensive) piece of chicken for you to buy.

If you weren't "getting ripped off" for water at $3.49/lb, you'd be paying more than $3.49/lb. I don't see anything wrong with this practice. It's not like it's secret and undisclosed on the label. Some processors overdo it and use way too much salt, but in general, this results in a much juicier meat. If you don't want it pre-marinated/pre-tenderized, then look for something that has only one ingredient on the label (meat).

The binding agent is typically soy protein, although other proteins can also be used.

Also, I find it amusing how people are grossed out by terms they're not familiar with. A vaccuum tumbler is basically a large vat which is vacuum sealed and then it rolls around to tenderize the meat. It's the 3000lb. equivalent if putting your meat in a ziplock bag with marinate, and then mushing it around. Just slighly more feasible than hiring an army of people with ziplock bags. To be quite honest, I find the strict standards at most facilities I've seen to be far more hygienic than most people's kitchens....

However I don't see how water and salt is bad for your health (unless you intake too much of them) and since when water and salt are not nature.

@The_Gas_Man: i think the main complaint is that you're paying 2.99/lb or whatever for chicken, and by pumping it full of water they're artificially increasing it's size, and price. you're right about brining the chicken, but you can do it for yourself for basically nothing.

@bohemian: Not just Wally Mart - a lot of chain supermarkets and "Super" stores carry meat (beef, pork, chicken etc) that have been 'enhanced' with brine solutions. If it was packaged before it gets to the store, it's almost a given. Our local supermarket advertises that the store branded meat they sell is not 'enhanced'

Yes, and Uranium is natural too. If it wound up in your chicken, would you be so complacent?

It's not that the ingredients are un-natural per se, it's that the inclusion of such that are not naturally found in the bird to begin with at such high levels is just plain gross.

Additionally, as someone who is on a strict low-sodium diet, I can say without a doubt that this can be just as bad as having uranium in my chicken. (well, almost).

@lpranal: I don't know who is part of the "we" in that statement, but I will refrain from taking their advice until I know.

@notlazyjustdontcare: So are mercury, arsenic... really most chemical compounds outside of plastics and a few exotics... the point is that there was something not in the breast that was added.

If I graft a lizard arm into the middle of your forehead I'm going to go ahead and say that you're not 100% natural anymore... maybe 100% biological, but not natural.

@impudence:
This practice sounds nothing like the practice of koshering a chicken.
The procedure is to soak the chicken on water, then place the chicken on salt (to remove all traces of blood) then rinse the chicken of the salt. NO needles or injectors or pressure devices are used. It's an external process, not internal.

Exactly. I brine all the chickens I buy but I don't pay extra for pre-brined water weight or 'binding agents' whatever the hell they are.

It's true that brining chicken is traditional. For instance the process of koshering includes a soak in brine. Empire brand chickens are an example of this, and they're delicious. But I think their tastiness derives from something other than salt water, probably something in the chicken itself. Or maybe it's rabbi juice that makes them so good.

Here's the FDA's take on the topic: [www.fsis.usda.gov]

Either way, neither addition stops me from buying big bags of frozen breasts and enjoying every single one of them.

Last weekend we had gopher, rabbit, porcupine, raccoon, and deer... No added water or salt... No unnecessary processing at all... And depending on what hit it, already tenderized.

Also, you should be able to find non-brothed chickens as whole chickens. A bit more labor intensive, but you could probably use only the breasts and still pay less per pound, as wasteful as that would be.

Ironically, the best use for the remaining odd bits you probably won't eat (back, heart, neck, etc.) is to throw them into a pot of water with some chopped onions and celery and make your own... Chicken broth!

We quit eating chicken that was brined since your paying an extra 15% for the same meat. It also is too salty.

The real problem with industrial meat is that it is so hard to find a reasonable ongoing supply of non industrial meat. It takes extra effort to order half a cow and get it home. It takes extra effort to order or drive out to the sticks to get pork or hit some hidden away butcher shop.

"We don't want needles or vacuum-thingies anywhere near our dinner plates, and neither should you-"

Well, I'm no expert on poultry products, but there's plenty of cutting and processing that gets the breast meat into it's packaged form. As long as it's done in a clean facility, what's the big deal?

As for the water content, Yes, it does cause the chicken to cook down, but if you're not marinading, the extra water is a good thing. I still have no problem even when i do marinade with water-added chicken; I just add less water to the marinade (or none at all).

Fuck Pilgrims. Puritans were the OG thugs.

I love how the word BREASTS and not Chicken is in big bold letters on the package. Subliminal messages? In MY poultry? It's more likely than you think!

I have to go elsewhere for chicken because Kroger doesn't carry any non-brothified chicken.

I also think it's gross and doesn't taste good. Calling it Pilgrim's Pride is a disgrace to Pilgrims everywhere.