{"id":4802,"date":"2023-05-22T10:53:33","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T14:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmforward.com\/?p=4802"},"modified":"2024-11-22T16:27:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T21:27:35","slug":"is-costco-chicken-good-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmforward.com\/news\/is-costco-chicken-good-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Costco chicken good for you? What’s in it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Why has Costco kept its price for rotisserie chickens at $4.99 since they were first sold in 2009, despite inflation? Costco knows that cheap chicken helps to bring customers through the door, who then spend money on other products with greater profit margins. Costco capitalizes on this trend by selling rotisserie chickens in the back of the store. However, the low price point comes at a high cost for the welfare of the chickens, the environment, and public health.<\/p>\n

Is Costco chicken good for you?<\/h2>\n

Costco chickens are raised on factory farms by the tens of thousands. These industrial farms have a profound impact on the environment and public health at large, and have severe implications for the communities directly surrounding the farms.<\/p>\n

Some of these effects are far-reaching. Intensive farming operations result in the production of large amounts of ammonia, nitrous oxide, and methane. These emissions drive climate change, degrade soil, and pollute air and waterways<\/a>. The sheer number of chickens raised on factory farms also requires that feed be brought in from other locations, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Antibiotics are likely to be emitted in the waste that is produced by the farms, driving the antibiotic resistance crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a more local scale, the dust produced by factory farms is likely to contain various harmful chemicals, feces, and even bits of feathers and flesh. Exposure to this dust has been linked to the development of respiratory diseases. The ammonia-laden odors produced by factory farms also impact on the health and well-being of the workers at the farms and can even affect health in settlements in the near vicinity.1<\/a><\/p>\n

Why are Costco chickens so cheap?<\/h2>\n

Costco has consistently sought ways to reduce the cost of producing their rotisserie chickens, and has succeeded primarily by doubling down on factory farming chickens, which externalize costs on the environment, workers, and farmed animals. Costco has also by vertically integrated<\/a> its supply chain to gain more control and keep costs low, all while resisting calls for higher animal welfare that could increase production costs. In 2018, Costco broke ground on a new poultry processing facility in Nebraska designed to process more than two million chickens per week. Many local farmers, land owners, and advocates united to oppose the multinational company\u2019s \u201ccradle-to-grave\u201d vertical integration, but Costco proceeded over their objections.<\/p>\n

The poultry processing facility is part of a larger complex that allows Costco to control the chicken supply chain from the factory all the way to store. The complex cost the company $450 million<\/a> to construct and is expected to save it up to $0.35 a bird. Though this may seem like a small amount, the chain sells more than a hundred million rotisserie chickens every year, so that adds up to more than 35 million per year in increased profits or potential savings.<\/p>\n

Though Costco stands to save money by vertically integrating its chicken supply chain, the cost to local farmers is likely to be high. Before the chickens are slaughtered and processed, most live in warehouses operated by farmers with nearby land. However, the specifications of how the birds are raised remain under Costco\u2019s control. Though Costco markets their business to farmers by suggesting they can expect to pocket upwards of $90,000 a year through these contracts, experts argue that their true income is closer to $60,000.<\/p>\n

When it comes to chickens raised for meat, the birds have been bred over generations to grow very quickly. Motivated by reducing costs and increasing profits, this genetic abuse<\/a> has resulted in severe health conditions and poor welfare. Costco has shown no inclination to use birds with higher welfare genetics<\/a>. In 2021, Costco announced an updated animal welfare policy<\/a> following pressure from farmed animal advocates, yet critics have continued to pressure<\/a> the company to do better, citing environmental and welfare concerns related to their farms.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in a Costco rotisserie chicken?<\/h2>\n

You might expect the only ingredients in a rotisserie chicken to be chicken and spices, but this isn\u2019t the case. Costco rotisserie chicken lists 11 ingredients<\/a> on its labels. They are: chicken, water, salt, sodium phosphates, hydrolyzed casein, modified corn starch, sugar, dextrose, chicken broth, isolated soy protein, monoglycerides, and diglycerides.<\/p>\n

What are Costco rotisserie chickens injected with?<\/h3>\n

Many of the ingredients found on the label of a Costco rotisserie chicken are injected<\/a> into the flesh of the bird. This is typically done to add flavor.<\/p>\n

Does Costco rotisserie chicken contain antibiotics?<\/h3>\n

As part of its animal welfare policy, Costco has signaled that it intends to reduce antibiotic use. A survey it sent to its chicken suppliers<\/a> found that 97 percent of its Kirkland Signature products (including rotisserie chickens) were raised without the \u201croutine use<\/a>\u201d of antibiotics that are also used to treat people. However, \u201croutine use\u201d is undefined. If no routine use means that antibiotics are only administered once per flock, that would still mean all birds in the flock received antibiotics. Costco has resisted requests<\/a> from their shareholders to publish quantitative data showing progress away from the overall use of antibiotics in their chickens. Costco has not released an analysis of their chicken products to support the survey\u2019s results.<\/p>\n

Does Costco rotisserie chicken contain hormones?<\/h3>\n

The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits the use of hormones in raising any poultry in the United States. Therefore, the chickens that are slaughtered to become Costco\u2019s rotisserie chickens do not contain any added hormones.<\/p>\n

Why are Costco chickens so big?<\/h2>\n

The average Costco rotisserie chicken weighs three pounds fully cooked. The birds raised for Costco are broiler chickens who have been genetically modified<\/a> through breeding to grow very large, very quickly. About 100 years ago in 1925, chickens lived for 112 days before being slaughtered at 2.5 pounds. Modern chickens, such as those raised by Costco, are slaughtered at only 47 days but at 5 pounds weigh more than double<\/a> what their ancestors weighed at slaughter.<\/p>\n

Costco rotisserie chickens are what the industry calls \u201csmall birds.\u201d Hybrid breeding techniques<\/a> have also produced \u201cheavy birds,\u201d who are 8-9 pounds when alive and are usually sold cut up as chicken products. All of these birds, large and small, are raised by the tens of thousands on modern chicken farms<\/a> better known as \u201cfactory farms<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\t

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