Why are chicken nuggets so bad for you??

[DoubleSix]

• Disclaimer ** - I do not eat chicken nuggets ok!

But I am a foodie and I like to understand the science behind food and know these things get a bad press.

So i picked up a bag in the supermarket today and read the packaging, it said: 100% chicken breast, on the reverse it said 47% chicken, then water...

I was always under the impression they were chicken feet and sphincters??

Obviously I put them back before anyone saw me but it bugged me that I couldn't put my finger on why the are wrong. What am I missing?

[Countdown]

I assumed it was because they were full of salt and fat, a bit like donner kebabs ?

[85Carrera]

DoubleSix said:

I was always under the impression they were chicken feet and sphincters??

They are. I worked in a chicken factory as a student and had the misfortune to spend (thankfully only part of a day) on the chicken nugget line. The stench was disgusting.

The only positive about working there (apart from the cash, which was welcome in my student days) was that it made me realise what st is produced by the food industry in this country as a result of which I do not touch processed food.

[DoubleSix]

85Carrera said:

DoubleSix said:

I was always under the impression they were chicken feet and sphincters??

They are. I worked in a chicken factory as a student and had the misfortune to spend (thankfully only part of a day) on the chicken nugget line. The stench was disgusting.

The only positive about working there (apart from the cash, which was welcome in my student days) was that it made me realise what st is produced by the food industry in this country as a result of which I do not touch processed food.

So how can they say 100% breast on the packaging??

[Sharted]

DoubleSix said:

So how can they say 100% breast on the packaging??

Because all of the chicken is breast, however, less than half the product is chicken.

[-crookedtail-]

Are they not made from that pink slime which is the result of the entire chicken being smashed and pressed through a sieve — bones, eyes, guts, the lot?

Probably then topped up with too much salt and other ste!!

I would still eat them though when hanging!!

[85Carrera]

DoubleSix said:

85Carrera said:

DoubleSix said:

I was always under the impression they were chicken feet and sphincters??

They are. I worked in a chicken factory as a student and had the misfortune to spend (thankfully only part of a day) on the chicken nugget line. The stench was disgusting.

The only positive about working there (apart from the cash, which was welcome in my student days) was that it made me realise what st is produced by the food industry in this country as a result of which I do not touch processed food.

So how can they say 100% breast on the packaging??

If they say that, I assume they don't use the same st they used back in the day which, to be fair, was over 20 years ago, so things may have improved - they certainly needed to.

[DoubleSix]

Sharted said:

DoubleSix said:

So how can they say 100% breast on the packaging??

Because all of the chicken is breast, however, less than half the product is chicken.

But there was not mention of any other chicken product, just chicken 47%, water, wheat, breadcrumbs etc

[anonymous-user]

they are alleging that 100% of the chicken is breast.

this 100% makes up 47% of the total product.

53% is non chicken.

All the chicken (100%) is breast (aye aye, course it is)

[DoubleSix]

desolate said:

they are alleging that 100% of the chicken is breast.

this 100% makes up 47% of the total product.

53% is non chicken.

All the chicken (100%) is breast (aye aye, course it is)

Fine, so the product is packed out with water, wheat, breadcrumbs etc - when did any of that lot become so lethal?

Here's the ingredients from one of the main UK retailers:

Chicken (60%), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Yeast, Dextrose, Salt), Water, Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Paprika, Salt, Wheat Flour contains: Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin

[anonymous-user]

DoubleSix said:

Fine, so the product is packed out with water, wheat, breadcrumbs etc - when did any of that lot become so lethal?

Here's the ingredients from one of the main UK retailers:

Chicken (60%), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Yeast, Dextrose, Salt), Water, Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Paprika, Salt, Wheat Flour contains: Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin

I dont think they are "so lethal". just not great

loads of salt. added fat. and generally deep fried.

great when you have a hang over though.

[calibrax]

-crookedtail- said:

Are they not made from that pink slime which is the result of the entire chicken being smashed and pressed through a sieve — bones, eyes, guts, the lot?

Probably then topped up with too much salt and other ste!!

I would still eat them though when hanging!!

No they aren't made from pink slime. Or At least the McDonald's ones arent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w

[xjay1337]

calibrax said:

-crookedtail- said:

Are they not made from that pink slime which is the result of the entire chicken being smashed and pressed through a sieve — bones, eyes, guts, the lot?

Probably then topped up with too much salt and other ste!!

I would still eat them though when hanging!!

No they aren't made from pink slime. Or At least the McDonald's ones arent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w

I don't think any of them are made up from that.
Think it's a tale our mothers tell us - like most of the tales our mothers tell us, they are full of ste.

[dazco]

They were bad when they were made from pink slime but nowadays they're not so bad

[anonymous-user]

calibrax said:

No they aren't made from pink slime. Or At least the McDonald's ones arent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w

Hardly independent evidence!

Anyway, as people have stated they aren't any worse for you than loads of other products.

[Gaz3376]

I'm a qualified Nutritionist and some of the rubbish some of the tabloids spout about foods being bad for you really irritates me. Clearly a chicken nugget is a less optimal food choice than a piece of unprocessed meat, but as part of a balanced diet i wouldnt see any major issues. My kids eat Mcdonalds probably once a fortnight, they are fighting fit.

[evilmunkey]

i quite like a mcnugget now and again, then again i like a kebab and currys etc. just not every night. all i moderation. to be honest the chicken nugget of the maccy d variety seems a lot less dirty than some of that bernard mathews stuff.

[otolith]

On the "pink slime" - I avoid eating mechanically recovered meat, but if we're going to kill and eat an animal, shouldn't we eat all of it we can? We don't often hear the ethical advocates of "nose to tail" eating singing the praises of hosing the scraps off the bones with high pressure water, but maybe we should?

[944fan]

Its going to depend on what you buy. Birds eye, for example, have probably responded to the negativity about mechanically recovered meat and there product now only uses breast meat.

Order nuggets and chips from a Hungry horse pub, for example, and I doubt you will be getting the same quality.

But as with all processed foods, going to be packed with salt and other stuff which isn't great.

[21TonyK]

otolith said:

On the "pink slime" - I avoid eating mechanically recovered meat, but if we're going to kill and eat an animal, shouldn't we eat all of it we can? We don't often hear the ethical advocates of "nose to tail" eating singing the praises of hosing the scraps off the bones with high pressure water, but maybe we should?

I used to make a point of using literally everything. I was fortunate enough to have the time and resources in terms of equipment and space to do so.

I still make a point of trying to find a use for everything but MRM is where I draw the line. Using the carcass or bones for stock though, that's a reasonable way of getting the best from what isn't palatable as food.

As for the nuggets. I steam boned and skinned chicken thighs until just cooked. Chill them then coat in a Cajun seasoned flour and water paste followed by a roll around in wholegrain breadcrumbs loosened with a bit of veg oil.

In the oven at 220 they crisp up in a few minutes. Relatively healthy and yet to meet a kid who didn't like them.

Edited by 21TonyK on Thursday 21st January 17:04