Javant is celebrated for his creative approach to plant-based cooking, focusing on simple, minimally processed ingredients that deliver maximum flavor. His recipes are designed to be accessible, making healthy eating enjoyable for everyone. In this particular video, he highlights three staple vegan ingredients – oyster mushrooms, young jackfruit, and his homemade cashew-based HV mayo – that serve as the foundation for these delicious salads.

Read more: ‘I Tried Making Vegan Chicken from Scratch – Here’s What Happened’

Oyster mushrooms: a meaty plant-based alternative

Oyster mushrooms are a popular choice in vegan cooking due to their tender texture and ability to absorb flavors well. They provide a satisfying, meaty bite that makes them an excellent substitute for chicken in salads.

In the video, Javant uses a pressing technique with a cast iron pan to cook the mushrooms, enhancing their texture and flavor. He seasons them with a blend of spices and coconut aminos, creating a savory base for the first version of the no-chicken salad.

Read more: 10 Vegan Broccoli Recipes

Young jackfruit: the shredded sensation

Javant uses jackfruit to make his second vegan chicken salad. Young jackfruit is known for its fibrous texture, which closely resembles shredded chicken, making it a favorite in vegan cuisine.

Many people avoid jackfruit because of its natural bitterness and high sodium content when canned. Javant tackles both of these issues head-on by thoroughly soaking the fruit beforehand – something he strongly recommends for optimal taste and health.

Once prepped, the jackfruit is cooked with spices and coconut aminos, then mixed with HV Chipotle mayo to create a smoky, flavor-packed version of vegan chicken salad.

HV mayo: the creamy connector

No chicken salad is complete without a creamy dressing, and Javant’s HV mayo serves as the perfect binder for his creations. Made primarily with cashews, this oil-free alternative provides a rich and smooth texture while delivering a wealth of nutrients.

Because it’s made from whole foods, HV mayo avoids processed oils and additives while still offering creaminess and depth of flavor. Javant’s HV mayo comes in various flavors, including a chipotle version that adds a smoky kick to dishes.

Through his innovative use of oyster mushrooms, young jackfruit, and cashew-based mayo, Javant demonstrates that it’s entirely possible to enjoy the comforting flavors of chicken salad without compromising on health or ethics. His approach serves as an inspiration for those looking to explore plant-based cooking, proving that with the right ingredients and techniques, vegan dishes can be both nourishing and indulgent.

For more of Javant’s creative recipes and cooking tips, visit the HealthyVeganEating YouTube channel.

Read more: Cozy Up With This Vegan Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

This article was written by Editorial Team on the PBN Website.

Researchers from Italy’s National Institute of Gastroenterology found that people who ate over 300g of poultry per week were twice as likely to die from one of 11 different gastrointestinal cancers, including types affecting the stomach, bowel, and pancreas.

Furthermore, eating more than 300g per week was linked to a 27 percent increased chance of death overall. The mortality risk from excessive chicken consumption was also higher for men than women, which they hypothesized could be related to portion size or hormones.

The researchers conducted the study on 4,869 middle-aged participants from Castellana Grotte and Putignano in Apulia, southern Italy, over nearly 20 years. Gastrointestinal cancers, or “GCs,” accounted for 10.5 percent of participant deaths, and white meat consumption was notably highest among those who died of gastrointestinal cancers.

The researchers noted the need for further study, including around participants’ exercise levels and other contextual factors.

Read more: Most Americans Wrongly Think It’s Important To Eat Animal Products For Protein

Meat consumption and cancer risk

The study was published in the scientific journal Nutrients last month. While the researchers said the precise cause of an increased mortality risk was unclear, theorized possibilities included cooking processes and farmed animals’ exposure to hormones and medications.

Eating more than 350g of red meat per week, equal to around two steaks, was also found to increase the risk of any type of cancer, the researchers found. But where poultry previously enjoyed a health halo, red meat’s links to negative health outcomes are well established.

Poultry was the most widely consumed meat in the world in 2023, and studies indicate that consumption per capita in Italy, in particular, is on the rise. Cancer rates are also rising, including for younger people, which is thought to be due to a complex range of factors.

Diet is generally considered to be one of these factors, and Cancer Research UK previously suggested that 21 percent of bowel cancers and three percent of all cancers in Britain are caused by the consumption of red or processed meats, as reported by the BBC.

In contrast, a growing body of evidence links meat-free and plant-based diets with a reduced risk of developing cancer, including gastrointestinal varieties like bowel cancer.

Read more: Healthy Plant-Based Diets Lower Risk Of Death From Cardiometabolic Disorders, Finds Study

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The California-based brand announced the launch of its Beyond Chicken Pieces at more than 1,900 Kroger stores nationwide on May 1, 2025. Beyond Meat said that the launch was a direct response to fans requesting the return of unbreaded vegan chicken, which was one of the brand’s first-ever products.

Beyond Chicken Pieces contain 21g of plant-based protein per serving and “heart-healthy” avocado oil. They contain 0.5g of saturated fat per portion, compared to the 3.8g in a comparable 100g serving of traditional chicken, and no cholesterol or antibiotics.

“The Beyond Meat journey began with a game-changing plant-based chicken product, and today – after several years of research to raise the bar on taste, clean ingredients, and nutrition – I am thrilled to re-introduce this platform as Beyond Chicken Pieces,” said Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown. “Beyond Chicken Pieces reflect our commitment to ingredient integrity and outsized nutritional benefits.”

Read more: Juicy Marbles Unveils ‘Market First’ Plant-Based Pork Whole Cut

Plant-based meat and healthy eating

Beyond Meat’s new vegan chicken is certified by the Clean Label Project, and meets the criteria of the American Heart Association’s “Heart-Check” program and the American Diabetes Association’s “Choices For Life” program,” both of which encourage healthy eating.

Beyond Meat has also partnered with the National Basketball Players Association to produce a digital cookbook titled GO BEYOND THE BUZZER to further highlight nutritious, plant-based food. It includes dishes inspired by NBA athletes such as Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Cade Cunningham, and features Beyond products like chicken, beef, and steak.

Recent studies confirm that well-balanced plant-based diets have several key health benefits, and that alternative proteins are just as good at building muscle as traditional meat. Despite increased public scrutiny, even highly processed options are healthier and better for the planet than animal-derived meat, and are not associated with adverse health outcomes.

Read more: Beyond Steak Makes UK Debut At Hundreds Of Tesco Stores Nationwide

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The new locations include the Kroger-backed Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Smith’s, and this brings TiNDLE to stores on the West Coast and Mountain Region of the US for the first time. The expansion also brings TiNDLE’s total number of grocery stockists to more than 1,300.

“Our launch with Kroger, one of America’s largest retailers, is a major milestone for our young company,” said TiNDLE CEO and co-founder Timo Recker, in a statement sent to Plant Based News. “With this expansion and introduction of Stuffed Chicken in their store, we are able to reach more customers than ever before while remaining deeply committed to offering the best-tasting, nutritious, and quality plant-based proteins we can create.”

The full TiNDLE range now includes Boneless Wings, Nuggets, Tenders, and a dual-flavor Stuffed Chicken line available in Parmigiana and Tikka Masala. According to the brand, the products feature more than 10g of protein per serving and are a “good source of fiber.”

Read more: Tiba Tempeh Launches New Smoky Block As Distribution Expands

Nearly a quarter of US shoppers eat plant-based alternatives daily

Experts predict that the alternative protein market will grow in the next few years, with plant-based meat expected to “more than double in value” by 2030. As of 2022, around 65 percent of Americans have consumed plant-based alternatives, while 22 percent eat them daily.

Taste remains a key motivator for US consumers, and blind taste tests have seen plant-based chicken, in particular, outperform both other meat-free options and meat itself.

“We are seeing that consumers are looking for plant-based products that go beyond the basics – delivering on unmatched taste, convenience, and versatility – and we feel inspired to continue innovating to meet the needs of modern shoppers,” said TiNDLE’s director of sales and marketing, Billy Whalen.

In addition to the newest range of Kroger-affiliated stockists, TiNDLE is available from grocery stores such as Bristol Farms, Wegmans, GIANT, MARTIN’s, and Giant Eagle in the US. In the UK, TiNDLE products are available from Morrisons and Whole Foods Market.

Read more: Heura And Swap Collaborate For New Realistic Vegan Chicken Whole-Cut

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The Suprême chicken fillet will come to over 2,000 retailers in France, Spain, and Portugal. This “strategic partnership” will facilitate an expansion of Barcelona-based Heura’s existing line-up and support French company Swap’s entry into the wider European market.

“We have joined forces with a common goal – to break the mold by offering products that appeal equally to meat lovers, flexitarians, vegans, and vegetarians,” said SWAP’s vice president of sales and marketing, Christel Delasson, in a statement. “With this launch, our expertise can reach a wider audience and introduce more consumers to a new way of enjoying plant-based food.”

Heura is best known for its ultra-realistic, legume-based meat, while Swap has been working specifically on whole-cut alternative proteins. Both companies prioritize nutrient density and short ingredient lists. The Suprême offers 20g of protein per serving and has a Nutri-Score of A. According to the brands, Suprême chicken is “tender and juicy,” versatile, and easy to prepare. It contains just seven ingredients and no additives, making it comparable to chicken.

Read more: Heura Announces Plans To ‘Transform The Ultra-Processed Category’

Plant-based collaborators and whole-cut chicken

Swap, which was founded as Umiami in 2020, specializes in making whole cuts of plant-based meat with minimal ingredients. Most recently, Swap opened a large factory, described at the time as France’s first commercial-scale facility for whole-cut plant-based meat.

The company raised €100 million in funding during the first three years for its proprietary production process and fibrous, realistic meat. Suprême is the company’s flagship product.

“While it might be natural to see other plant-based companies as competitors, that’s not how we see it,” Heura’s head of content, Laurent Gubbels, told Green Queen. “We see them as mission partners. When we collaborate, when we improve the offer together, everyone wins: the market, the companies, the consumers, the planet, and the animals.”

Heura and Swap’s Suprême chicken fillet will retail at French supermarkets such as Carrefour and Monoprix for €4.99 per pack, and the rollout will continue through to June, 2025.

Read more: Juicy Marbles Unveils ‘Market First’ Plant-Based Pork Whole Cut

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Sullivan has been sharing approachable vegan recipes and cooking inspiration online for years. Known for her honest, relatable videos and thorough testing, she’s built a loyal audience of home cooks looking for tasty, no-fuss meals. In her latest video, she set out to answer one question: is it worth making your own vegan chicken from scratch?

The vegan chicken recipes

She started with a recipe from the Full of Plants blog, which uses vital wheat gluten, tofu, and young green jackfruit to create a tender, shreddable texture. “It was very, very soft,” Sullivan said of the dough, noting she had to tweak the recipe by adding extra vital wheat gluten to get the right consistency. Once cooked in her Instant Pot, the result was a delicate, moist seitan that shredded beautifully. She used it for BBQ pulled sandwiches and was impressed by the result. “It was really, really good,” she said, adding that the jackfruit flavor came through slightly but didn’t bother her when paired with strong sauces.

The second recipe, Chickwheat, comes from the Avocados and Ales blog. It relies on chickpeas and aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) instead of jackfruit or tofu, along with miso and spices for a savory kick. The method for developing the dough was completely new to Sullivan: blending the seitan in a food processor. “It ended up working so, so well and I don’t think I’m ever gonna make seitan a different way ever again,” she said.

Read more: ‘The 4 Healthy Plant-Based Meals I Rely On’

The chickwheat seitan was firmer, more structured, and ideal for slicing. Sullivan used it in chicken noodle soup and a vegan chicken salad — and was blown away by the results. “It sliced really, really beautifully and the texture is super similar to Tofurky,” she noted, adding that it also held up better in broth than many store-bought vegan options.

Her partner Eric agreed. After trying the chickwheat chicken salad, he said: “You could convince anyone that’s chicken salad, really.” They both agreed it had a “shreddy” texture and rich flavor, especially compared to soy curls or Gardein.

So, which was better? Sullivan said it depends on the dish. The jackfruit-based recipe works well for softer, shredded textures in saucy meals, while the chickwheat is best when you want slices or firm chunks. But the winner for her? “The chickwheat is definitely going to my regular rotation,” she said, already dreaming up new spice blends and variations for hot dogs or deli slices.

If you’re curious to try homemade vegan chicken, both recipes are worth exploring — and with a little time and a food processor, you might just skip the store-bought stuff for good.

Find more of Sarah Sullivan’s recipes and plant-based tips on her YouTube channel.

Read more: ‘The 6-Step Plan That Helps Me Maintain A Balanced Diet’

This article was written by Editorial Team on the PBN Website.

The company says its Gen4 platform is capable of “unprecedented precision” in mimicking the texture, structure, and juiciness of conventional meat. Convincing and appealing whole cuts have been difficult to achieve with plant-based ingredients. This has led to a focus on producing shredded and ground meat alternatives. But Demolish Foods says the Gen4 model “recreates the full complexity” of animal-based meat. It can “capture natural variations” of meat by fusing together varied muscle structures. This can provide the mix of juicy and chewy parts found in “premium meat experiences.”

Read more: Company Uses ‘Shear Cell’ Technology To Make Plant-Based Whole Cuts

Chicken breasts have been the company’s focus so far, as it is the most in-demand whole cut. Made with just eight clean-label ingredients, Demolish Foods says its chicken breast matches the nutritional profile of conventional meat in calories, sodium, fat, and protein.

Scalable and resilient

The Gen4 model improves on Demolish Foods’ Gen3 platform, which was launched in 2024. Compared to Gen3, Gen4 can produce six times more meat with a 35 percent reduction in costs. It has in-built flexibility when it comes to ingredients, making it more resilient to supply chain pressures.

“With supply chain disruptions, rising poultry costs, and threats like bird flu impacting global meat availability, a more resilient, scalable solution is urgently needed,” the company said in a statement. It adds that most meat eaters can’t tell the difference between its whole cuts and conventional chicken breast in appearance or mouthfeel.

The Gen4 platform can produce whole cuts in both chilled and frozen form. Demolish Foods says it is fully certified for commercial manufacturing, sale, and export.

Read more: Planted To Launch Fermented Whole Cut Steak in France

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

The multi-award-winning musician and actor is the latest non-vegan celebrity to choose plant-based wings while appearing on Hot Ones. The show’s host and co-creator, YouTuber Sean Evans, also chose to eat plant-based wings during Gaga’s appearance.

“These are good wings, too,” said Gaga. “I think I have the plant-based ones. They’re good.”

While Gaga is not vegan herself, she founded cruelty-free cosmetics brand Haus Labs in 2019, which uses only vegan ingredients. On Hot Ones, Gaga spoke to Evans about making outfits early in her career and even pretending to be her own manager. She also talked about songwriting, and how playing piano taught her “where to put the drama” in pop songs.

Gaga is currently promoting her sixth studio album, Mayhem, which will be released on March 7, 2025. The second and most recent single from the album, “Abracadabra,” came out earlier this month and has charted in the UK’s top 10 and the US’s top 30.

Read more: Gordon Ramsay Partners With Flora For ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign

Hot Ones and plant-based wings

Meat-free chicken wings have been featured on Hot Ones since Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA became the first vegan guest in 2016. Temple of Seitan has made some of the plant-based wings for certain UK-based episodes, while others have featured cauliflower and tempeh versions.

In addition to Gaga, non-vegan celebrities such as John Oliver,  Lizzo, and Florence Pugh have also opted for plant-based chicken wings while appearing on the show. Race car driver and plant-based entrepreneur Lewis Hamilton appeared on Hot Ones last year, and told Evans that he should “just do the vegan ones” as it would save “so many chickens.”

Read more: Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst Eats Vegan Wings On ‘Hot Ones’

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Impossible Foods Opens Pop-Up Restaurant In Collaboration With Oatly

SHICKEN specializes in vegan chicken products. Its a family-owned company that offers a range of Pan-Asian curries and kebab skewers in a variety of different flavors. According to SHICKEN, it will be the only UK vegan food brand sold in US Costco stores. SHICKEN products are also available in Costco Iceland, Sweden, and France.

Veg Capital invested £4 million (USD $5.1 million) in SHICKEN earlier this year. Commenting on the brand’s US expansion, Veg Capital cofounder Matthew Glover said: “We knew from the off that the growth potential for the SHICKEN range was huge – the dishes taste incredible and their passion and commitment to quality and plant-based innovation stood out from day one.” He added that the group is “over the moon” to see SHICKEN land the listing “as part of their growing international business with Costco.”

Read more: Beyond Meat Reports ‘Strong’ Q2 – Despite ‘Misinformation’ About Plant-Based Category

The rise of SHICKEN

SHICKEN says that family is “at the heart” of everything the company does. It was cofounded by husband and wife duo Parm and Satvinder Bains, who say that their recipes are inspired by generations, including their ancestors, parents, and children.

As well as Costco, the brand is also available in Sprouts Farmers Market stores in the US. Shoppers can buy Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi, and Butter Curries, as well as its Tikka Kebab Skewers, across 380 stores in 23 states.

While the Tikka Kebab skewers are currently only available in north-west Costco stores, the brand has said that there may be scope for expansion further in the US the future.

“Expanding into Costco’s domestic market is a game-changer, not just for coverage across the US, but further global markets, including Costco Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan and Korea,” Parm Bains said in a statement.

“SHICKEN exists to bring the nation’s favourite world food cuisines into an inclusive, convenient, sustainable plant-based offer, without compromising on restaurant quality authentic taste and we can’t wait to see where this exciting step will lead!”

SHICKEN arrives in Costco on August 24.

Read more: Shicken Launches Allergen-Free Vegan Chicken

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

Read more: Brand Creates Wheat-Based Binders For Vegan Meat That’s Free From E-Numbers

Described as the “world’s first and largest public sensory analysis of plant-based meats,” the study found that a majority of the 1,150 American participants preferred the flavor of plant-based chicken nuggets over traditional, animal-based ones.

This “category-specific deep dive” on plant-based vs animal nuggets was published on page 117 of “Taste of the Industry 2024,” the inaugural report from NECTAR – a new initiative from Food System Innovations (FSI) aimed at “accelerating the protein transition with taste.”

This section of NECTAR’s report found that the average plant-based nugget has achieved parity with traditional chicken nuggets and that the former, meat-free versions “clearly outperformed” the latter in terms of taste and texture.

“It wasn’t just one brand that outperformed. Multiple brands overperformed on taste, which is really exciting,” said NECTAR director Caroline Cotto, as reported by National Post.

Read more: Ecotricity Founder Dale Vince Slams Animal Agriculture In Nature March Speech

Plant-based nuggets: still room for further improvement

Participants tried nine different commercially available plant-based products, and overall preferred nuggets produced by Impossible Foods, MorningStar Farms, Quorn, Rebellyous Foods, and Simulate.

The report did not find wins for plant-based meat across the board, however. Notably, the nugget category was the only one in which plant-based food scored best. Breaded products were generally more popular than non-breaded, and the study said there were improvements to be made in terms of flavor, texture, and appearance of plant meats. Consumers generally wanted saltier, juicer, and greasier products, something that Cotto said she was “surprised” about.

NECTAR’s next study will focus on blind taste-testing “blended” products which include both meat and plant-based protein.

Read more: Making Vegan Grilled ‘Chicken’ From Scratch Is Easier Than You Think

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: New Plant-Based Chicken Thighs By THIS Have Seaweed ‘Skin’

Shicken says that its new Tikka Kebab is a first-of-its-kind, free from all 14 top allergens, and made with British ingredients. The product is produced at a newly certified, allergen-free site in Kent and swaps soy and wheat for East Anglian-grown peas.

Shicken, a fast-growing, family-owned challenger brand, offers a range of Pan-Asian, chef-prepared ready meal curries and plant-based kebab skewers in different flavors, including Karahi, Teriyaki, and the original soy and wheat-based version of Tikka.

Six percent of the UK population has some kind of food allergy, equating to around 2.4 million adults. Soy, most commonly associated with plant-based products and alternative proteins, is actually present in as much as 60 percent of all manufactured foods.

“As a business, we are committed to making plant-based food delicious, inclusive, and ethical,” said Shicken co-founder Parm Bains, as reported by The Grocer. “Our next-generation recipe has been developed to taste even better and opens the Shicken range up for everyone to enjoy – whatever their dietary requirements are.”

The company says swapping soy and wheat for pea protein will improve product taste and texture, but using home-grown ingredients instead of imported ones will also reduce Shicken’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, up to 95 percent of all energy used by the upgraded Kent factory is renewable.

“Sustainable sourcing is essential to the future of food and the planet,” added Bairns. “And reducing the food miles of our ingredients is a key part of our mission and purpose.”

Read more: Veg Capital Invests Millions In SHICKEN

Shicken aims for profitability by next year

In March of this year, Shicken received GBP £4 million in a second round of funding from the vegan investment fund Veg Capital, which also contributed £2 million back in 2022. This latest funding was used to help upgrade Shicken’s now allergen-free production facility in Kent.

“The SHICKEN range is simply delicious, and their curries and kebabs are flying off the shelves – it was a no-brainer for Veg Capital to reinvest,” Matthew Glover, Veg Capital Director, said in a statement at the time. “We’re excited to play our part in helping this family business go global over the coming years.”

In April, Shicken told Just Food that it hoped to be profitable by 2025 after launching in the US earlier this year. Shicken’s products are now available in 410 Sprouts Farmers Markets throughout the US, in addition to Costco and Tesco in the UK. They have also appeared on supermarket shelves in Iceland, Sweden, and France.

Shicken’s allergen-free Tikka Kebab will launch nationally at Costco this week before introduction throughout Shicken’s entire range at other retail and food service outlets by the end of May.

Read more: Start-Up Raises €2 Million For Plant-Based Microalgae Protein

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

A Reddit user posted a picture of the green chicken to the website and asked if it was normal. Many replies correctly identified the discolored meat as “green muscle disease.”

Read more: Think Free Range Eggs Are Ethical? Investigation Exposes Reality Of ‘Cage-Free’

Not many people would find green chicken meat an appetizing prospect – though it poses no safety hazard according to the US Department of Agriculture. But it signifies something even more unsavory about the mass production of chicken meat on factory farms.

What is green muscle disease?

Green muscle disease is the common name for a condition called ischemic myopathy or deep pectoral myopathy. It results from restricted blood supply to the flight muscles in chickens and turkeys.

Blood flow to the area becomes restricted when birds flap their wings a lot and the muscle gains more mass than the birds’ bodies can accommodate. The pressure limits or cuts off the blood supply, leading to the death of the muscle tissue.

Read more: Will Eating Chicken Really Save The Planet?

Several factors are thought to contribute to farmed birds flapping their wings a lot. These include stressful conditions such as birds being caught to be loaded onto trucks for slaughter and sudden changes in light conditions in barns. The withdrawal of feed that happens in the days before slaughter is another possible contributor.

Factory farms are also inherently stressful places for chickens and other farmed birds. Thousands of them are housed together in barns, with very little space per bird. There is little to engage them and they can be become bored and frustrated. While they are growing to slaughter weight, the barn floor will become covered in feces and urine, as they are only cleaned between flocks. 

Large-growing breeds

Usually, green meat will be removed from the bird’s body during processing, but sometimes it will reach supermarket shelves in whole carcasses. Green muscle disease isn’t new, but the poultry industry says it is occurring more frequently. The main reason is that chickens are being bred for heavier body weights. 

“Green chicken flesh is the result of industrial breeding practices that cause chickens to grow so unnaturally large so quickly that there’s inadequate blood flow to their chest,” PETA’s Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen told Plant Based News.

Modern broiler chickens not only grow three times faster than they did fifty years ago, they can also weigh up to four times as much. In the US, around 70 percent of chicken meat comes from larger birds weighing more than 2.7kg. 

Pressures on chicken bodies from selective breeding means that green muscle disease is not the only muscle myopathy from which they can suffer. Others include “woody breast,” where the breast muscles harden, and “spaghetti chicken,” where difficulty breathing deprives muscles tissue of oxygen and causes the fibers to separate. 

Cheap chicken

Costco’s rotisserie chicken costs only $4.99, a price that has not changed since 2009. The chickens are also typically a pound heavier than rotisserie chicken found at other supermarkets. In 2022, Costco sold 117 million – a 10 percent increase on the year before.

It’s only possible for Costco to sell so many chickens so cheaply because of the way ways in which the chickens are farmed. Unusually, Costco owns the farms and processing plants that produce its chicken. In 2020, an undercover investigation by Mercy For Animals revealed fast-growing Costco chickens struggling to walk and suffering from ammonia burns due to lying in their own waste. The footage also captured piles of rotting dead birds.

Costco later said it would look into giving birds more space and that it would look into breeding chickens to have fewer welfare problems. But even if these changes came into effect, the chickens would still live short, difficult lives before being slaughtered and sold at the lowest cost possible.

“PETA asks consumers to reflect on the fact that eating chicken means eating the flesh of a disabled, diseased – and now dead – bird and urges them to opt instead for delicious vegan chicken that’s free from cruelty as well as nasty surprises,” said Allen.

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

While she was washing a chicken breast under the tap, it went stringy and came apart in her hands. After she shared a photo of the meat to social media, commenters pointed out that it was likely “spaghetti chicken,” the meat of a fast-growing chicken.

Read more: I’m Taking The Government To Court Over Farmed Chickens – Here’s Why

The truth about ‘spaghetti chicken’

The majority of chicken meat in the US and UK comes from fast growing breeds. They have been dubbed “frankenchickens” by some, as they have been selectively bred to reach slaughter weight in six weeks. If a human baby grew as fast as these chickens do, the baby would be the size of an adult tiger at eight weeks. 

Meat from such chickens can sometimes become stringy, giving it a spaghetti-like appearance. This is because they may have struggled to breathe properly while alive, meaning their muscle tissues did not receive enough oxygen, causing the fibers to separate. Around four to five percent of chicken breast meat is identified as “spaghetti chicken” in the US.

Read more: Will Eating Chicken Really Save The Planet?

The rise of spaghetti chicken was described as an “industry woe” by the Wall Street Journal in 2019. According to the report, chicken companies in the US are spending around $200 million each year to divert breasts that have become stringy.

The cruelty of fast growing breeds

While the chicken industry sees the phenomenon as just a headache and extra cost, the rise of spaghetti chicken showcases a hidden aspect of chicken farming that’s widely regarded as cruel. 

Chickens suffer hugely on farms. Because of their size, they often experience serious injuries, broken bones, and lack of mobility. Some are so large that they cannot move to access food and water. 

“If you hear the term ‘spaghetti chicken’, think ‘painfully crippled chicken’, because these unfortunate birds are bred to grow so unnaturally large so quickly that their legs buckle beneath them and they can’t even stand up,” Elisa Allen, Vice President of Programmes, tells Plant Based News. “Anyone with a grain of compassion must swear off supporting such systemic cruelty.”

Read more: Think Free Range Eggs Are Ethical? Investigation Exposes Reality Of ‘Cage-Free’

The reason why fast growing breeds are so widely used is because they maximize profit for the industry, allowing it to produce as much chicken meat as possible. Chickens are by far the most abused land animals on the planet, and around 70 billion of them are farmed and killed each year. Buying and consuming them supports this industry, and abstaining from their meat is the only way to not contribute to this cruelty. “PETA encourages everyone to buy only vegan chicken, which comes without a side order of suffering,” says Allen.

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

But as the realities of the climate and biodiversity crises get ever more serious, the impact of food is becoming impossible to ignore.

Read more: Think Free Range Eggs Are Ethical? Investigation Exposes Reality Of ‘Cage-Free’

Faced with uncomfortable truths about the impacts of different foods on the planet, one response has been denial. This trait is evident amongst supporters of “regenerative” farming, who claim that animal agriculture can be “carbon positive.” A recent study put another nail in that coffin.

Another response has been deflection.

It’s very easy to point the finger at cows. Besides the fact that that finger should be aimed firmly at the humans who farm and eat cows, rather than the animals themselves, such simplification is potentially very problematic.

House on fire

Beef has far and away the highest contribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of everything humans eat.

The amount of land and water needed to farm cows is astronomical. The amount of crops grown to feed them is enormously wasteful. The waste and deforestation that cow farming causes make it one of the most destructive activities on the planet.

In response to concerns about beef’s environmental impact, some have put forward chicken consumption as a climate solution. A recent article even suggested that being a “chickentarian” could be a viable alternative to veganism. 

But two wrongs don’t make a right.

Over-emphasizing the unique harms of beef production risks letting another ruinous meat industry off the hook. Worse, beefing up chicken slaughter could exacerbate several key environmental, ethical, and health risks.

As Nicholas Carter, an ecologist and data scientist, puts it: “Choosing chicken over beef for the claimed environmental benefits is like turning down the thermostat in a burning house.”

Room for improvement

Removing ruminant meat (cows and lambs) from menus has been touted as a climate policy by some forward-thinking institutions and restaurants.

While the intention is admirable, the consequences can be alarming if all that beef is replaced with chicken meat.

Read more: EU Making Animal Diets ‘Artificially Cheap’ With Subsidies, Report Finds

That’s because the argument for eating more chicken is usually based solely on GHG emissions. Although lower than for some other meats, chicken has higher emissions than plant-based proteins such as tofu, lentils, chickpeas, and beans.

“Chicken does have a lower carbon footprint than beef or pork,” Carter tells Plant Based News (PBN). “But it’s still three times higher than even the highest emitting plant protein, like soy, and almost ten times higher than peas.”

Mega mess 

Worse, scaling up chicken production usually means even greater intensification.

Intensification is a long-standing answer to how to reduce the climate impact of meat. The result can be seen in the spread of Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the US and mega-farms in the UK.

Intensive farming comes with serious problems. 

Read more: How Many Animals Are Killed For Food Everyday?

Carter points to the extreme risks of zoonotic diseases from mass confinement of animals as one leading concern. Studies have shown that intensive farming poses a major risk of antibiotic resistance, disease spread, and pandemics.

This echoes the warnings of Matthew Hayek, Professor of Environmental Studies at New York University, who has warned of the “zoonosis trap” that results from chicken farming. This trap involves a cycle of intensifying existing facilities (which enhances disease transmission and antimicrobial resistance) and expanding into new regions (where humans will come into contact with the new diseases).

There’s also chicken poo to contend with. Keeping huge numbers of birds in one place inevitably leads to huge amounts of waste. Excessive manure runs off into local waterways and can bring about ecological collapse, as has happened recently in the River Wye and Lough Neagh.

It’s not the how, it’s the who

If the environmental and health risks are not enough to turn people off chicken meat, the ethical arguments are overwhelming.

Chickens, being smaller, are farmed in significantly higher numbers than cows. Indeed, more than 200 million chickens are slaughtered for food every day. That’s 140,000 deaths every minute.

For the birds stuck in factory farms right now, ever more intensive farming methods means ever less space and ever more suffering.

Eat beans, not birds

Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement that he had started raising cows was rightly condemned by climate scientists as an “obnoxious luxury.”

Sticking it to Zuck for raising cows while tucking into a chicken dinner, however, is not the climate solution that some seem to think it is.

Study after study shows that the best response to the ills of animal agriculture is to transition towards a plant-based food system.

“Continuing to farm chicken is one of the riskiest ways of attempting to feed the world,” Carter adds. It’s time governments stop gambling and start following the science.

This article was written by Daniel Clark on the PBN Website.

A new investigation has shone fresh light on the reality of “free range” eggs in the UK. 

Vegan organization Animal Justice Project looked into a number of cage-free egg producing farms in the UK. The farms, which are RSPCA Assured and part of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA), are key suppliers to major supermarkets. 

Investigators described the findings as “deeply concerning.” Tens of thousands of hens were packed into dark barns and forced to live in “nightmare” conditions surrounded by bodies and skeletons of birds who had passed away. Photos and videos uncovered instances of bullying, including one hen being pecked to death on camera. Birds were seen bald and covered in blood, sporting injuries, and many were unable to access food and water.

Many birds were denied outdoor access, which goes against RSPCA guidelines. Drone footage acquired by the organization found that the birds were not let outside on any of the days that they filmed.

“What we uncovered at these three free-range egg farms was nothing short of a nightmare for these poor hens,” Tayana Simons, Campaigner at Animal Justice Project, told Plant Based News. “What we exposed is a stark reminder that assurance labels can be deceiving, and behind the façade of ‘cage-free’ lies a world of suffering for millions of hens.”

What is ‘free range’?

Free range is the name given to eggs that have come from hens who supposedly have access to the outside. Free range eggs make up around 60 percent of eggs sold in the UK, and people have long been prepared to pay extra for them to avoid supporting caged systems.

The UK public tends to free range eggs as an ethical animal product, as adverts and marketing often depicts birds out in large fields and breathing fresh air. The reality, though, is very different. 

Modern egg laying hens have been selectively bred to produce as many eggs as possible, and lay around 300 a year (in the natural world, they would lay around 12). This takes a huge toll on their bodies, and they often suffer from broken bones due to calcium deficiencies. When they stop producing eggs, they will be slaughtered.

The “free range” label just means that hens legally have to have access to the outdoors for some part of the day. Birds in this system will often spend the vast majority of their lives in huge barns with tends of thousands of other birds, with barely any room to move. While they should have access to the outside, they are often unable to make it to the door of the barn due to injuries or strict pecking orders in flocks. 

Free-range as a marketing tactic

As the Animal Justice Project investigation proves, even the minimal legal guidelines for free range eggs are often not met or enforced properly by farms. A report published last year found that less than three percent of UK animal farms are inspected each year, so breaches of minimal so-called “welfare guidance” are commonplace.

The investigation comes just months before all major UK supermarkets will make all their eggs cage-free. Under the “cage free commitment,” major retailers will only sell whole eggs that have come from free range farms. This move has, according to Animal Justice Project, been met with a surge of “high welfare” claims for eggs. 

Welfare labels like free-range, as well as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured, are often used to convince customers that what they’re buying is ethical. But investigation after investigation shows that animals suffer hugely on farms run by these schemes.

“It’s time for the public to realise that these accreditations make no meaningful difference to the lives of animals who are farmed,” said Simons, “The only way to protect animals is to leave them off your plate.”

More like this:

• I’m Taking The Government To Court Over Farmed Chickens – Here’s Why
• The ‘Shocking’ Rise In US-Style Mega-Farms In The UK
• How Many Animals Are Killed For Food Everyday?

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.