Quality of chicken breasts in major supermarkets

[MattsCar]

Yes, I should buy organic...but as a powerfully built person (PH joke, not being serious) who eats lots of chicken breast I can't afford to.

Anyhow, problem is this. No matter where I buy chicken breasts from (UK, red tractor assured) there are always a couple of pieces within the pack that have a chewy/muscles/crunchy kind of texture. This tends to be the larger pieces. This is from all major supermarkets.

Any idea as to what is this cause of this, older chickens?

Edited by MattsCar on Monday 14th March 22:43

[MattsCar]

Yes, was my thinking, chicken reared for food would mean that once the chicken reaches of age to be slaughtered, it would be.

It is hard to describe what I am finding...more fiberous/ tougher to add to my original description.

[MattsCar]

Thanks Phil, yes that is exactly what it is. Problem is you buy a pack with what appears to be more breasts and you realise that they've just cut down a larger breast in to two fillets.

[MattsCar]

Sheets Tabuer said:

I read pretty much all our chicken breasts come from holland so you might as well buy bulk.

https://www.meatandco.co.uk/product/5kg-fresh-chic...

I don't think that applies to fresh chicken breast, pretty much all supermarkets sell UK chicken with the flag on the pack.

[MattsCar]

hyphen said:

Unless you are a competition bodybuilder do you need to focus on just chicken breasts.

Get whole chickens. Roast whole or cut up.

Oh, no I mix it up, pork, beef mince, turkey mince the lot...but just a bit disappointing when you purchase a pack of chicken breasts and a couple are inedible.

ASDA, CO-OP, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Aldi...all the same, but not surprising as they probably all come from the same supplier.

[MattsCar]

Yep, the past few comments are exactly what I have experienced and glad others have noticed.

Amazed that the supermarkets have not been pulled up on this.

Small breasts fine...most packs have 2 of them...then 2 massive breasts that have this problem. Just bizzare and there must be something going on as it as if the crap breasts are equally shared out in the packs.

[MattsCar]

43034 said:

I too have experienced the above, and this is why boneless thighs are the way forward. Tastier and cheaper.

Yep, exactly what I am doing!

Ever tried making schnitzels using them?

[MattsCar]

Glad to see this post still going lol.

So, while not fresh chicken, I have found some frozen chicken breast goujons in breadcrumbs that are really good. It is not British chicken, but...I have probably had 20 bags of this stuff in the last year and there hasn't been a single tough/ wrong piece in it. It is also whole fillet and low in fat (5g per 100g) and air frys really well.

https://searaprofessional.com/products/frozen-brea...

Farmfoods do a 1kg bag for £6.

Yes, I know it is not as healthy as pure chicken breast and yes there are chemicals in it as below. But in terms of quality it is leagues ahead of most frozen products.


Chicken meat (62%), fortified wheat flour with iron and folic acid, vegetable oils (cottonseed and/or sunflower and/or rice), water, starch, salt, maize flour, stabilisers (E451i and E450i), yeast, spices (garlic powder, onion powder and white pepper), dextrose and thickener agent ( E407).