Freshworthy Friday: The Chicken and The Egg

Photo by flickr user Gina Pina, licensed under Creative Commons.

After two-plus years of vegetarianism, I branched out for the sake of brisket. A couple of times since then, I've sneaked a small bite of chicken off my husband's plate, and remarked, "I'm kind of over the texture of chicken." It's true; I don't much care for it any more. Eggs are clearly another story.

That said, I'm glad I'm over chicken. Because while I would always, always opt for organic and sustainably raised chicken if I were buying it to cook myself, I might not have that option when eating out.

Which leads me to the news of the day. Pink slime has been all over the news the last few weeks, and now there's more to think about. New studies show that chickens on industrial farms have been fed a mix of caffeine, drugs, and arsenic.

Here's something to consider as we bring our families around a table to celebrate this weekend:

Arsenic in Our Chicken?
The New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof

What does all this mean for consumers? The study looked only at feathers, not meat, so we don’t know exactly what chemicals reach the plate, or at what levels. The uncertainties are enormous, but I asked Nachman about the food he buys for his own family. “I’ve been studying food-animal production for some time, and the more I study, the more I’m drawn to organic,” he said. “We buy organic.”

I’m the same. I used to be skeptical of organic, but the more reporting I do on our food supply, the more I want my own family eating organic — just to be safe.