How to know if there's chlorine on your chicken

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August 4, 2023

You may already be privy to the fact that it is standard procedure for chickens to take a chlorine bath when being processed.

97% of chickens processed in USDA facilities are bathed in chlorine - even certified organic farms and their processors do it.

You see, after a chicken is defeathered, it is always and immediately put into an ice bath. This is important. It cools down the chicken immediately and reduces the risk of the chicken spoiling.

However, when you’re processing a lot of chickens, they all take this bath together. So, if there is one chicken that has, let’s say, a high amount of salmonella, it could spread the bacteria to all the chickens in the bath.

This is why the USDA demands that meat processors use an additional layer of sanitation. The most popular and widely used method is adding chlorine to the ice bath. According to the USDA, chlorine bathed chickens are completely safe for consumption.

However, if you’re reading this blog post, you likely want to avoid anything synthetic, especially in your food. And, you’re not alone. The EU has banned chlorine-washed chickens in European countries for concerns over safety and effectiveness.

How can you know if there’s chlorine on or in your chicken? You can’t! It’s undetectable to the human senses for 99.9% of people.

It’s not required to disclose sanitation ingredients like chlorine, soap, etc on packaging. Given the statistics, it’s pretty safe to assume that, if you purchase chicken in a store in the US, it has chlorine on or in it.

The only way to 100% know if there’s chlorine in your chicken is to know your farmer.

Our farmer is meticulous about his all-natural farming and processing practices. That’s why he's always used a processor that does NOT use chlorine to wash meat.

Originally, he found a wonderful processor that uses a more natural alternative to chlorine - Birko’s Chicxide, a blend of lactic and citric acids. I spoke with a very helpful Birko employee. He gave me some additional information not provided on the product’s technical sheet. Chicxide is made in an industrial facility by the process of fermentation, which I think is pretty neat. The lactic acid is produced by fermenting corn, and the citric acid is produced by fermenting a mixture of cassava and corn.

Now, citric and lactic acids are certainly better than chlorine, but it's likely made from GMO corn and soy. Ahem, more synthetic chemicals. And, it's also a lab-produced ingredient, which is kind of the opposite of "natural". So, we searched for something better.

In 2023, we're happy to report that we switched to a processor that uses NOTHING to wash our chicken. How do they do this? It's air chilled. With air chilling, no ice bath is needed. The birds pass through several chambers where cold, purified air is used to cool the meat. And, that's it. No chemicals AND no worry of contamination.

The farmer is happy to be able to take this extra step for your safety, both limiting your exposure to toxins as well as potentially detrimental bacteria such as salmonella.

How is the air chilled process better than water chilled?

The process of washing chickens in a chemical-laden bath of water results in chicken that has absorbed chemicals, added water weight, and less flavor. In addition, any bacterial microbes found on one chicken is now shared with an entire batch of chickens, creating greater health risks for the consumer. Water pockets can form, impacting the accuracy of cut sizes. This leads customers to pay for more than what they're getting in return.

Customers deserve better than that! Here are some benefits of air chilled chicken:

Air chilling allows for healthier and safer chicken by eliminating the risk of shared bacteria.
When a product is air chilled, there is no added water weight, so you are getting exactly what you paid for.
No added chemicals or water are used during the air chilling process, therefore a full and robust flavor is found when our chicken is served.
Have you ever tried to fry or roast a piece of chicken after it's spent hours submerged? It can be a challenge to get it nice and crispy while also being perfectly cooked. This is not the case with air chilled chicken! Thanks to the time they spend in the chiller, our birds slowly lose water rather than absorbing excess. Less water means quicker browning at a perfect temp - every cook's best friend.
Since the birds haven't already absorbed a ton of water, they take seasoning and marinade much better.
Since the surface isn't as wet as water processed, breading adheres better more completely and stays on while sautéing and frying.

Now isn't that nice? Not only are there less chemicals, but it's also a fairer way to sell chicken AND the chicken is nicer to cook with and more delicious. Win win win!

*Originally published on May 3, 2019. Updated on August 4, 2023.

Pastured Meat

Farming Practices

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Let’s take a look at what rennet is and why it’s used in cheesemaking, compare the different types of animal and vegetable rennets, check out the labeling requirements for rennet, and consider the potential health consequences. Keeping all this in mind, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the most nutrient-dense, natural, A2/A2 cheese we can and gives you all the info you need to make the choice that’s best for your body!

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

It used to be true that, if your egg yolks were darker in color, then the better the egg's nutrition. Conscious consumers of the past would look for that deep orange yolk and stray away from lighter yellow yolks. It's sad, but this simply isn't the case anymore. Here's why you can't trust cheap store-bought eggs with orange yolks and need to know your farmer instead.

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

How to know if there's chlorine on your chicken

97% of chickens processed in USDA facilities are bathed in chlorine - even certified organic farms and their processors do it.

How can you know if there’s chlorine on or in your chicken? You can’t! It’s undetectable to the human senses for 99.9% of people.

The only way to 100% know if there’s chlorine in your chicken is to know your farmer.

How is the air chilled process better than water chilled?

Now isn't that nice? Not only are there less chemicals, but it's also a fairer way to sell chicken AND the chicken is nicer to cook with and more delicious. Win win win!

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566