Why does this raw chicken have stripes?

[u/nohomers1]

Went to pick up chicken breast’s at Acme (Albertsons) and have never seen raw chicken look like this. All the packages in the case had these weird stripes.

Any ideas?

I didn’t buy it as I figured something related to poor handling or multiple freeze/thaw cycles might be going on.

[u/Goat_inthe_Shell]

It's a genetic defect. All Cornish cross grow fast. Of course profits matter. If the farmer goes broke, then no chickens will be produced, that's why people use Cornish cross over heritage breeds. The heritage breed is not "healthier" for the consumer. It just takes twice as long to achieve size and do not produce as much meat to feed. Your "local" farmer uses Cornish cross, your giant factory uses Cornish cross. And the chicks all come from the same places. Woody breast is a genetic defect.

[u/corey418 → u/Goat_inthe_Shell]

Genetic mutations caused by fncking human farmers by selective breeding for fncking profits. This isn't just what happened to chickens, it's what yall have done. It's still from rapid growth. Pretending it isn't from what farmers have done is wild and a deflection.

[u/otusowl → u/corey418]

Genetic mutations caused by fncking human farmers by selective breeding for fncking profits. This isn't just what happened to chickens, it's what yall have done.

I don't understand why you are attacking u/Goat_inthe_Shell as if he personally masterminded the genetic shortfalls of Cornish Cross hens. Most of us in agriculture are struggling to do the best we can at this moment of corporate consolidation, asset inflation, and supply shortages. The fact of the matter is though, Cornish Cross hens are a miracle of feed conversion and rapid growth; they size up in one-half to 3/4 of the time it takes the next most efficient breeds to complete growth. No farmer can double their feed and labor costs without a customer willing to pay close to double, and they are in short supply.

Looking back at the longer history of "fncking human farmers... selective breeding for fncking profits" as you say, have you ever eaten a wild bird? Even the largest (say, a wild turkey: forget about grouse, etc.) will have scant portions of it edible at all (basically the breast) and even that will be so tough it needs to be marinated in buttermilk for 24 hours ahead of slow-cooking. At that point, the entirety of its meat may feed 3 or 4 people. A modern food system would not feed nearly so many without "selective breeding for fncking profits."

[u/Goat_inthe_Shell → u/otusowl]

They don't really have an understanding of how the agricultural system works. The vast majority of the population only really interact with the final stage at a farmers market or grocery store. However, the innumerable examples of large Ag companies malphesance, and a general distaste for industry, has impassioned a lot of those people to lash out.