Lie #2: White meat is always a healthy alternative.
The truth: A 2012 Johns Hopkins University study studied the feathers of imported chickens to determine what the birds ingested before slaughter. They were surprised to find traces of antidepressants, painkillers, banned antibiotics and allergy medication. Researchers said Prozac is sometimes used in imported chicken to quell anxiety in chickens raised in tightly-packed, factory-farm conditions. Stress causes the chickens to grow more slowly, hurting profits. Scientists also uncovered caffeine in about 50 percent of samples taken. Why? Caffeine keeps chickens awake so they can grow faster.
Eat this instead: To find more humanely and naturally raised chicken, look for local grass-fed poultry farmers who don't use routine antibiotics or arsenic in feed. (LocalHarvest.org is a good resource.) If you're in the grocery store, opt for organic—standards for organic include bans on the use of antibiotics, arsenic, and many other unappetizing chicken-farming practices. In addition to organic products, Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Humane certifications ban the use of antibiotics in healthy animals, too.
Eat this instead: To find more humanely and naturally raised chicken, look for local grass-fed poultry farmers who don't use routine antibiotics or arsenic in feed. (LocalHarvest.org is a good resource.) If you're in the grocery store, opt for organic—standards for organic include bans on the use of antibiotics, arsenic, and many other unappetizing chicken-farming practices. In addition to organic products, Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Humane certifications ban the use of antibiotics in healthy animals, too.
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