Hi there Moink-ers! It’s Lucinda, Head Hen at Moink, here. My Words of Wisdom for you this week are this: “Solutions are for problems. You don’t need them in your chicken.” Let’s look at chicken solution.
Ever notice that fine print statement about “solution” on store-bought (and some delivery company’s) chicken? In case you didn’t have your magnifying glass, it usually reads something like, “enhanced with up to 17% of a seasoned solution,” or “contains up to 7% of a solution of water, salt and spices to enhance tenderness and juiciness.”
I know, the word solution may seem pretty harmless compared to the hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs that are already on our radar. But it does make you wonder, what’s the deal with these so-called enhancements, and who’s keeping tabs on them anyway?
Chicken Solution: Shedding Some Light On All That Salt
It turns out the nation’s largest meat companies are pulling another fast one on consumers (Surprise. Surprise. NOT). During the process of enhancing, or plumping, meat is injected with water, salt and additives (chicken solution) to help preserve taste and moisture. It sounds gross, but it’s the industry standard. What exactly are these additives? Nobody really knows! That’s because the practice isn’t closely regulated, and companies aren’t required to disclose the exact ingredients and quantities of the solutions they’re using.
And what about all the fine folks trying to watch their sodium intake? According to the Truthful Labeling Coalition, enhanced chicken can contain more than 800% more sodium, with 25% of an adult’s daily sodium allowance in a single serving. The average shopper has no idea they’re pounding all that salt, and that’s before they add more seasonings at home.
So not only are you getting who knows what in your chicken- you are also unknowingly paying for salt water and fillers, $2 billion a year to be exact! And some chicken companies label their product as all-natural or even organic, although it contains a very unnatural amount of sodium, and who knows what additives, in every bite. Goes to show you that a label is only as good as the person who stands behind it.
It seems to me that the only thing really getting enhanced here is the big meat companies’ profits.
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
At Moink, we believe you deserve to know exactly what’s in your food. And call us crazy, but we don’t think you should have to spend your hard-earned money on salty additive water. And you know what else? People tell us ALL the time that our chicken is the best they have ever had, and we are thinking the fact that it is actually chicken might have something do to with that. Just sayin.
We’re committed to keeping all our poultry (and the rest of our products) free of any solutions, because we’re confident the flavor and tenderness of our meat can stand on its own.
Ready to say goodbye to mystery meat and find out what real…good chicken tastes like? Try it out here.
Ready to join the Moink Moovement and help us fight for the family farm?
I have tried spices to chicken, soaked it in brine and it still taste mushy and soggy like soap. How does restaurants keep there chicken flavorful for their customers?