Water being sold in chicken!!!!?

regi3457

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/06/supermarket-frozen-chicken-breasts-water

For some time I have been noticing water coming out of my chicken breasts while cooking and have always wondered about it. The other day went to Tesco and saw on the chicken packaging it said "no added water" which I found odd. I got in touch with Tesco and they said that water is added to make the meat more succulent!!! I couldn't believe that even for a second. When I did some research I found the link above. Anybody else know about this? Do people even care?

I am disgusted by this. Really utterly disgusted.

harr

On some chicken and turkey breast you can make out the injection points on the meat, I normally do my shopping in tesco but I find the chicken poor..the best full chickens are the smallest and cheapest,in fact I bought a extra large chicken one week and I got less meat from the big one compared to the small one.
If doing stir-fry your pan will be full of water and the meat will shirnk down to nothing..
I find my local butcher best for all my meat,more expensive but the quality difference is noticeable...
It happens with all food in all supermarkets op not just just meat..find yourself a good butcher and greengrocer but you will pay more for better product.

rubadub

regi3457 wrote: »

The other day went to Tesco and saw on the chicken packaging it said "no added water" which I found odd. I got in touch with Tesco and they said that water is added to make the meat more succulent!!!

Were they talking about the specific product you bought, tesco have loads of chicken products.

I don't recall ever seeing fresh chicken fillets in tesco (or any supermarket) which declared having added water. I have seen it on pork chops in many places, they usually call it "basted" and not basted in spices/marinate.
http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=290594077
So I would have thought they would be open about chicken if they did it.

I have also seen it clearly stated on tesco own brand frozen chicken fillets, and in aldi and/or lidl that they contain added water and usually proteins. Your link also seemed to be talking just about these frozen chicken breasts.

VincePP

That article is years old. Yes water is added to many chicken products especially cheap frozen chicken products. Its also regulated.

About 70 of chicken is naturally water - something similar for humans.

Also beware of believing everything in a hysterical news report - usually these reports are skewed to create hysterical headlines and they leave out much of a balancing argument.

Simply - if its cheap and from frozen there's a reason for it.

Sleeper12

I'm surprised this thread exists tbh. I genuinely thought everyone knew that they pump water into chicken in most supermarkets. They have been doing it for decades. They pump whole chickens and chicken breasts.
They can claim it's to make them more succulent all they want. I always believed it's just to make them bigger and heavier. It makes it look like you are getting better value than you actually are.

stimpson

Buy an Aldi free range chicken. There is a world of difference compared to a Tesco €2.99 chicken. The water is one reason they can make them so cheaply.

mahoganygas

regi3457 wrote:

I am disgusted by this. Really utterly disgusted.

Surely that's a bit over the top.

Why are you disgusted by water being added and not the quality of feed given to the animals? Not to mention the constant dosing with antibiotics. If water disgusts you then I strongly urge you to look at the conditions on a chicken farm and the killing floor of a factory.

When you buy a chicken in a massive global supermarket like Tesco then you can't really complain about the poor quality of the meat. There is a reason they cost €4.

rubadub

regi3457 wrote: »

I got in touch with Tesco and they said that water is added to make the meat more succulent!!! I couldn't believe that even for a second.

what exactly did you not believe, that it happens or that people would do it to make chicken succulent.

3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S ROAST CHICKEN

2. Soak the chicken overnight in 6% brine

*brining will change the proteins of the chicken to retain more moisture

Jamie oliver
http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/

Marinate the chicken in brine for at least two hours (overnight is best). It will become outrageously soft and juicy.

loads of other chefs do it.

regi3457

mahoganygas wrote: »

Surely that's a bit over the top.

Why are you disgusted by water being added and not the quality of feed given to the animals? Not to mention the constant dosing with antibiotics. If water disgusts you then I strongly urge you to look at the conditions on a chicken farm and the killing floor of a factory.

When you buy a chicken in a massive global supermarket like Tesco then you can't really complain about the poor quality of the meat. There is a reason they cost €4.

Surely nothing. Speak for yourself but I am disgusted by it.

Yes quality of feed and how chickens are treated also bugs me but adding water really is up there with those things too.

Why shouldn't I complain about the quality of chicken at Tesco? I find their products much better than Lidl and Aldi and it was in Tesco that I discovered chicken with the label "No water added" which brought the whole thing to my attention. I really like tesco for most other things too. They label their fish so you know if it is farmed or wild which makes a big difference to me and my family. Their fruit and veg are usually very decent too.

regi3457

rubadub wrote: »

what exactly did you not believe, that it happens or that people would do it to make chicken succulent.

3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S ROAST CHICKEN



Jamie oliver
http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/


loads of other chefs do it.

It does not make chicken succulent. Do you seriously buy into that?

regi3457

stimpson wrote: »

Buy an Aldi free range chicken. There is a world of difference compared to a Tesco €2.99 chicken. The water is one reason they can make them so cheaply.

Ok will check out an Aldi free-range chicken. FYI I pay 4 euro for a medium chicken at Tesco, how are the free range ones at Aldi?

regi3457

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I'm surprised this thread exists tbh. I genuinely thought everyone knew that they pump water into chicken in most supermarkets. They have been doing it for decades. They pump whole chickens and chicken breasts.
They can claim it's to make them more succulent all they want. I always believed it's just to make them bigger and heavier. It makes it look like you are getting better value than you actually are.

Well this is what the article said. I tend to agree with you. Anyway, with the amount of rubbish people eat every day nowadays, I doubt this will turn many heads.

regi3457

rubadub wrote: »

Were they talking about the specific product you bought, tesco have loads of chicken products.

I don't recall ever seeing fresh chicken fillets in tesco (or any supermarket) which declared having added water. I have seen it on pork chops in many places, they usually call it "basted" and not basted in spices/marinate.
http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=290594077
So I would have thought they would be open about chicken if they did it.

I have also seen it clearly stated on tesco own brand frozen chicken fillets, and in aldi and/or lidl that they contain added water and usually proteins. Your link also seemed to be talking just about these frozen chicken breasts.

They dont declare having added water but they do declare it not having added water (on specific product - am still trying to understand this) which brought the whole thing to my attention and nobody in the store new WTF

Here is tescos response

Water is added to improve succulent in chicken, protect the product from freezer burn during the process and to aid as a carrier to get salt and dextrose into the product. A level of water in the product can improve quality but as products are cheaper as the value range then you will find higher water addition.

I hope this has answered some more of your questions. If not please feel free to contact me.



Kind regards,



Louise

Tesco Customer Service Ireland

Graham

rubadub wrote: »

what exactly did you not believe, that it happens or that people would do it to make chicken succulent.

3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S ROAST CHICKEN



Jamie oliver
http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/


loads of other chefs do it.

Fairly big difference between brining meat and bulking up the weight with water.

regi3457

harr wrote: »

On some chicken and turkey breast you can make out the injection points on the meat, I normally do my shopping in tesco but I find the chicken poor..the best full chickens are the smallest and cheapest,in fact I bought a extra large chicken one week and I got less meat from the big one compared to the small one.
If doing stir-fry your pan will be full of water and the meat will shirnk down to nothing..
I find my local butcher best for all my meat,more expensive but the quality difference is noticeable...
It happens with all food in all supermarkets op not just just meat..find yourself a good butcher and greengrocer but you will pay more for better product.

Yeah this coincided with what my wife has been saying. She is from Argentina, where the meat is of exceptional quality and living in other countries she noticed her chicken cooking in all this water and was really put off by it. We kinda forgot about the whole thing until now. I am definitely going to the butcher in my center and buying my chicken from them. I won't be bringing in rubbish food to my home for my family anymore. We don't eat out so much because we like home cooking, the least we can do is have the meat be decent, I mean jesus, it is a cut up animal. You would think that you can't possibly be swindled but they always find a way.

regi3457

Graham wrote: »

Fairly big difference between brining meat and bulking up the weight with water.

Yeah was going to say the same as you

GHOST MGG

rubadub wrote: »

what exactly did you not believe, that it happens or that people would do it to make chicken succulent.

3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S ROAST CHICKEN



Jamie oliver
http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/http://communitytable.parade.com/31698/jamieoliver/jamie-olivers-tray-baked-chicken/


loads of other chefs do it.

There is a massive difference to injecting chicken or any meat with water to bulk out its selling weight than brining it in a salt,sugar and water solution.

Brining is used to Impart flavour and retain moisture during the cooking process.
i wont go into the complicated chemical process of what it does but in short the brine solution(primarily sodium and chloride) modifies the myosin in meat proteins so the molecules in the meat hold on to moisture better.Hope that clears up the brining vs water injecting debate

armabelle

regi3457 wrote: »

Yeah this coincided with what my wife has been saying. She is from Argentina, where the meat is of exceptional quality and living in other countries she noticed her chicken cooking in all this water and was really put off by it. We kinda forgot about the whole thing until now. I am definitely going to the butcher in my center and buying my chicken from them. I won't be bringing in rubbish food to my home for my family anymore. We don't eat out so much because we like home cooking, the least we can do is have the meat be decent, I mean jesus, it is a cut up animal. You would think that you can't possibly be swindled but they always find a way.

Oh man, an Argentine "bife de chorizo" mmmmmm. But yyou know Irish beef aint to bad either.

If anyone has been to Argentina, the people are really good looking in comparison with the rest of the world and I always tie it to the quality of the meat.

armabelle

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I'm surprised this thread exists tbh. I genuinely thought everyone knew that they pump water into chicken in most supermarkets. They have been doing it for decades. They pump whole chickens and chicken breasts.
They can claim it's to make them more succulent all they want. I always believed it's just to make them bigger and heavier. It makes it look like you are getting better value than you actually are.

There are simply no ethics in the food industry. You want fresh food nowadays, own a farm!

Xenji

I thought everybody knew about this, its been happening for donkey years, I get all my meat from a local butcher, its far better quality and for the likes of mince and chicken breasts works out cheaper then the packaged stuff you get in the supermarkets.

_Brian

Xenji wrote: »

I thought everybody knew about this, its been happening for donkey years, I get all my meat from a local butcher, its far better quality and for the likes of mince and chicken breasts works out cheaper then the packaged stuff you get in the supermarkets.

As above.

Supermarkets are up to every trick in the book to sell on cheap meats as premium.

Do people know that the meats packed on trays is sealed in nitrogen to keep oxygen out so the meat appears fresher longer, appears fresher, not remain fresher. It's known as modified atmosphere.

I would implore people not to buy supermarket meat and go to a local butcher for their meat. If possible find one that kills their own animals on site.

drunkmonkey

Go to a butcher or fishmonger.

You literally have no idea what your getting from a supermarket. Tesco is home of the horse burgers, that should have been enough to convince most people.

Fish fraud is huge but hasn't been tackled in Europe yet, not sure why nobody has broke the story but it's huge in the states and they don't trust fish coming from Europe.

If you look at lets say a packet of prawns you'll see they come from somewhere in Aisa it's not very specific. Call me sceptical but I woudn't touch any fish that's been in the Pacific or within an ass's roar of Japan. So I'll be sticking to my Atlantic seafood thank you very much.

madanall

Apart from Chicken, meat in Tesco is of inferior quality to even every other supermarket anyway. I worked there for
28 years. Poultry from SuperValu is a little dearer but far superior quality. Steak from Aldi beats Tesco hands down.

A_Sober_Paddy

Love how people keep saying go to your local butcher, a lot of chicken in your butchers comes from the same place the tesco/Dunne's stuff comes from

Speedwell

Brining is fine for chicken you will be roasting or deep frying, so long as it's not overdone. It is a disaster for chicken that you will be pan frying or stir frying or braising. And in America they sell the unbrined chicken for a vast premium per pound over what the brined chicken would cost minus the brine. One of the best things about Ireland for me is the local chicken that doesn't make a mess in the pan when you cook it.

Xenji

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Love how people keep saying go to your local butcher, a lot of chicken in your butchers comes from the same place the tesco/Dunne's stuff comes from

Not if you have a half decent butcher and you should be able to see what farm it comes from as well, all mine comes in house or from a farm 5 minutes outside town.

A_Sober_Paddy

Xenji wrote: »

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Love how people keep saying go to your local butcher, a lot of chicken in your butchers comes from the same place the tesco/Dunne's stuff comes from

Not if you have a half decent butcher and you should be able to see what farm it comes from as well, all mine comes in house or from a farm 5 minutes outside town.

But nearly all the butchering is done in warehouse these days fir chicken

ThisRegard

it's pretty old news at this stage. It's more noticeable with the cheaper fillets, especially when you're frying them on a pan as Harr said, it gets to the point you have to drain the pan otherwise you're just boiling it. People complain about the prices that some places sell their fillets for when you can get 10 in place X for a low price of Y, the difference in quality is obvious.

Also, when you buy your Spar chicken fillet roll you must wonder why it's so fat and plump? But one from a Supervalu that uses a better fillet and comparer the size of them, the Supervalu one is about half the size.

stimpson wrote: »

Buy an Aldi free range chicken. There is a world of difference compared to a Tesco €2.99 chicken. The water is one reason they can make them so cheaply.

As to would a Tesco bought free range chicken. All places do cheap and expensive ones.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Tesco is home of the horse burgers, that should have been enough to convince most people.

As to were other places, and it had nothing to do with Tesco.

Tipperary Fairy

They also add colouring to make food look nicer, dump vegetables that don't look pretty enough for us and add things to make food shiny.

You have a lot to learn OP

sbsquarepants

regi3457 wrote: »

I am disgusted by this. Really utterly disgusted.

Really?

With all the shít they put in food these days, you're disgusted about water?
If that's all that's added, it's not much of a problem really now is it

Cabaal

regi3457 wrote: »

I am disgusted by this. Really utterly disgusted.

Thought everyone knew this as common knowledge,
It doesn't just happen with chicken it happens with bacon all the time as well,

Personally I don't mind the water, I'd much rather a chicken is treated better while it lives and as such I always keep an eye out for hock burns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hock_burns

Hock burns happen when a bird is unable to raise itself off the ground properly and the dropping on the ground actually burn into the skin of the chicken, something that would be pretty painful for the bird. Its a good sign the bird is living in pretty crap conditions and likely has a miserable life.

You can easily spot them and its generally easy to spot them when they've removed them or tried to remove them