alt Hacker News > bleached chicken
I Googled for more info, and I found this quote: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/15/nx...
> Less than 5% of poultry processing facilities still use chlorine in rinses and sprays, according to the National Chicken Council, an industry group that surveyed its members. (Those that still do use a highly diluted solution at concentrations deemed safe.)
> Nowadays, the industry mostly uses organic acids to reduce cross contamination, primarily peracetic, or peroxyacetic acid, which is essentially a mixture of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
> prevalence of GM crops
Replies
My understanding was that the meat-packing process in the US involves a butchering method that results in more fecal matter contamination, posing the risk of salmonella, which necessitates the wash. Those bacteria occur naturally, so you can't avoid that without being careful with butchering, which is probably what the EU standards require. But I doubt the big meat conglomerates like Tyson will want any hit to productivity, and they would fight a change every step of the way.
That’s really the whole point - EU food standards indicate that the need to use acids to prevent bacteria growth is the problem. The EU system is based on having higher sanitation requirements at all steps from feed to cage to plate.
> What do European chicken meat plants use to reduce bateria load?
I'm sure it's just salt and water.
I don't understand why consumers will pay for a chicken breast which has been injected with salt water. It comes out when you prepare it.
Also some people don't season food with salt (you can add salt at the table if you really need it). Meat with added salt taste very salty to me.
> What do European chicken meat plants use to reduce bateria load?
sanitary conditions