"Mechanically Separated Chicken" is the Fowl Equivalent of "Pink Slime"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pink slime, the highly controversial industrial beef additive, has a counterpart in chicken and turkey.  Bits of bones, cartilage, loose skin, internal organs, and even feathers from poultry carcasses are included in "Mechanically Separated Chicken," an ingredient found in many lunch meats, hot dogs, soups, pizza rolls, baby foods and scads of other popular supermarket items.

"Mechanically Separated Chicken" is being called "chicken ooze" by consumer watchdog group Citizens for Health. The non-profit organization provides accurate information about questionable ingredients in foods and beverages, such as High Fructose Corn Syrup and monosodium glutamate. Through its FoodIdentityTheft.com website, it helps consumers make healthier choices about the products they buy for their families and sponsors the annual "Read Your Labels Day" each April 11 (4/11) to encourage Americans to get the '411' on what's really in the foods they eat.

"Many parents that we work with would be shocked to learn that some of the best selling pizza rolls, bolognas, and hot dog brands include these highly processed chicken waste parts," observed Jim Turner who chairs Citizens for Health.

Invented in the late 1960s, Mechanically Separated Chicken is a gooey, paste-like substance that is produced by forcing carcasses with attached tissue through a sieve under high pressure.  FoodIdentityTheft.com Editor Linda Bonvie reported that the unappetizing puree of poultry scraps and offal are helping some of the biggest processed food manufacturers to increase their profits by using chicken and turkey remnants in their products. She's included a list of grocery store products that contain Mechanically Separated Chicken on a recent blog post.

"Lungs, kidneys, and even the sex organ tissue of immature birds can all find their way into Mechanically Separated Chicken," noted Bonvie.  "What's most troubling is that these highly processed products are often marketed to our kids, which is why reading ingredients labels is essential for anyone who's concerned about what they're actually eating or serving their family."

About Citizens for Health
Funded by concerned consumers, non-profit partners, food growers, and businesses, Citizens for Health is a non-profit organization that provides over 130,000 supporters with consumer news, action alerts, and ways to demand access to healthy food, non-toxic products, and truthful, non-misleading health information.  For more visit www.citizens.org.

SOURCE Citizens for Health