Shocker!

source: this is london

Organic chicken 'less nutritious' than battery-farmed birds

With its premium price tag, shoppers expect organic chicken to be both tastier and healthier than cheaper battery-farmed birds.

But organic poultry is actually less nutritious, contains more fat and tastes worse than its mass-produced equivalent, research has shown.

Tests on supermarket chicken breasts showed that organic versions contained lower levels of health-boosting omega 3 fatty acids than other varieties, including non-organic free-range poultry.

The compounds, present in high levels in oily fish, are thought to be responsible for a host of health benefits, from combating heart disease to boosting intelligence.

Organic chicken, which typically costs nearly three times as much as battery-farmed poultry, also contained lower levels of anti-oxidants – compounds which mop up harmful molecules called free radicals that have been linked to cancer, heart disease and strokes.

If that wasn't enough, the chicken – from birds which are raised as naturally as possible and are given antibiotics only when they are actually ill – contained up to twice as much cholesterol.

Organic chicken even fared poorly in blind taste tests, gaining the lowest marks for succulence.

Researcher Dr Alistair Paterson, of Strathclyde University, told the Sunday Times: It is safe to say that you are not getting any nutritional benefit from buying organic chicken.

Color me unsurprised!

As someone who spent a lot of years working in professional kitchens I can tell you that even when the menu claims 'organic,' it usually isn't. Why? For all the reasons enumerated here. Organics tend to look bad and taste bad, not a winning combo when your trying to get someone to pay top dollar for the hash you're slingin'!

While I have beefs with companies such as Tyson on illegal immigration issues, the truth is they are refining their feeds with every batch of birds grown for them. MJ's Grandpa raises chickens for the Mountaire company and he was telling me that every time he raises a batch he has to keep records on a whole host of things related to that particular batch of feeds.

Long story short, organics are a status purchase. If it makes you feel better to buy them and you can afford it, go crazy. But if at all possible spare the rest of us the smug, superior looks when you do so. Thanks!

H/T NRO

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