It's common knowledge that unless you buy organic chicken (or foster farms), you're almost certainly buying the carcass of an animal that has been PUMPED full of steroids (either through injections, feeding, or both). This has caused me to buy expensive, organic chicken breasts.
Well a friend told me a while back that hormones/steroids are not legally allowed to be used on poultry. I immediately thought "I wish!" - and sort of dismissed it. I mean, SO MANY people say that this is the case -- even Foster Farms advertises that you should buy their chicken because it's hormone/steroid free -- so it must be true, right?
Steroids/hormones were rarely used in the first place - but were officially made illegal to use on poultry in 1959. Which begs the question, why does Foster Farms and other organic companies claim something that is true for EVERY poultry company?
It's smart marketing but also borderline fear-mongering.
I look at images like this and just wonder if this can be ethical? If they don't know, then they're ignorant - which wouldn't be a huge crime if they weren't in the business and sort of owed it to us customers to do their research. If they do know, they're just deceiving. Either way, no bueno :)
Just goes to show that if something is said enough - even in the face of the facts - it can be believed. Was this news to anyone else like it was news to me?
13 comments:
This was news to me when Jamie Oliver did his documentary thing on chickens, a year or two ago.
We buy free range eggs in the interests of humane treatment of animals.
Hormone fear-mongering is lame. Humane treatment of animals not so much ;)
There are other things that chickens can be injected with that make then not All Natural. Things such as salt water. This does not make Foster Farms a "fear-mongerer". Plus, there are some places that do inject chickens with hormones, especially if it is chicken that is brought in from other countries. That is why they are all natural and locally grown.
They may not use growth hormones or steroids, but the chickens used for food are given so much food so quickly, that their legs are often not strong enough to support their own mass, so they can't really walk.
If you're interested in learning more about how your food gets to your table, check out The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan.
You guys are sort of missing the point ;)
I'm sure there are a million things wrong with chicken - but the above photo and FF's ads (and a TON of organic meat companies' ads) are entirely deceptive... that's all I'm annoyed with ;)
Bobby
Pot is Illegal too...
but people smoke it.
Driving over the speed limit is illegal....
but people speed.
Just because it's illegal, doesn't mean they don't do it. I know its straying from your point, and ya, very annoying things these 'marketing' people do.
BTW, see the movie "FOOD INC."
I get it, but at the same time I was never a sucker to the whole thing in the first place.
I don't believe 'organic heathly living' people any more then the 'evil corperation' people. Both are in business to make money and people will deceive others as long as it works. I mean açai juice is great but some people make it out to be a some kind of maracle drug, gimme a break.
My mother runs a Organic Food Co-Op that supports 120 families, my wife works for her so ALL our food is natural/organic. I know more on the subject then I care. For me I go with what tastes better, generally an organic banana rocks the socks off a non-organic. It's hit or miss really.
Best thing is to eat a balanced diet with 90% of your food being fresh, or in it's natural form. That's all I care about.
I would think that they are cashing in on the fear that already existed. Organic means more than just horomone-free, but the other stuff probably doesn't sell as well. They certainly aren't helping spread the truth, either, but the fear must have already been there.
Incidentally, I don't think I've ever heard hormone-free chicken advertised here. We're all about grain-fed. But I'm pretty sure there are stricter laws regarding food packaging in Canada than the US.
It's common fact that non-organic broilers are fed arsenic which while not a growth hormone per se has a large effect on bulking the meat of the chickens as quickly as possible. This has health implications for the people that eat the chicken meat, several brands of fast food chicken have been found to have detectable levels of arsenic plus the ramifications that this non-organic compound has on the soil when ultimately used as fertilizer (chickens are notoriously inefficent eaters and hence their waste is often fed for cattle to eat, gross right?) If you google arsenic in chicken you will come up with all kinds of lovely stuff. I seriously wish I lived in So Cal right now so I could see that new Food, Inc. documentary that is out.
Again, I'm sure there are a ton of things bad about chicken! I bought and still buy Trader Joe's chicken because I think it tastes better ;) My point was and still is simply that people are told that "our organic chickens are NEVER treated with any hormones" - when they might as well say "our organic chickens are NEVER treated with heroin." That's all :P
It might be common but it's not a fact that non-organic broilers are fed roxarsone (arsenic) - Tyson (the nation's largest poultry supplier) no longer does ;)
It just always seems with the organic industry that if it's not one thing, it's another... and we eat about 80% organic, I'd say ;)
My uncle is a holistic doctor, my mom is OBSESSED with all things organic. I know the good of natural and organic foods. That's not what I'm talking about :D
You are right, I overstated when I made it sound like all broilers are given the product but the reality is 70% are based on industry approximation (and I did read that Tyson had stopped using roxarsone). And I hear what you are trying to convey about the no hormone pitch, basically it is making people purchase out of a false pretense rather than the real reasons organic chicken is healthier for you and they should market it based on those aspects.
great post Bobby!
I can't agree with you more. I firmly believe that advertising should be honest and straight forward. Unfortunatly a lot of marketing people don't follow these standards :(
Oh man you opened up quite the debate, especially for this health crazy :) Now... you seem very, very informed, but you should see Food Inc. for a fly by. Or read Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall. Both(but especially the book) delve right into the politics. It is seriously so eye opening. I have been a vegetarian for a long time and a vegan on and off, but I learned so much. I have lots of problems with the meat industry. I don't even think I could begin to summarize them here! There are tons of reasons to buy organic, it's great that you do. I really encourage you to read that book though. I bought it for $1.78 on Amazon :D
What really bugs me is that these companies are allowed to decieve us like that... and that no one has said anything is truly shocking... maybe because we are all crazy about rbgh's in cows that we automatically assume they do it to chickens also, I know that's probably why I thought there was growth hormones in chickens (I really thought there was, so you did teach me something tonight)... makes me think of the McDonald's chicken nuggets thing, "now made with all white meat"... well, what the hell were they made of before?! I don't know why I think of that but I do...
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