Aldi and Chicken.

I was shopping at Aldi to purchase some organic, grass-fed ground beef, which they carry at the fair price of $6.99 a pound. (I’d prefer to buy from a local farmer, but affordability and convenience often limit my options.)

I thought perhaps Aldi might have some organic, pastured chicken as well. Those who know our family, know that we have to eat organic for my husband’s health. Sometimes our food budget is higher than our rent. If you have ever shopped organic, you know the struggle is real. But it is absolutely worth the reward. (Learn how thousands are saving 25-50% off their organic groceries.)

So I checked Aldi’s chicken department and was drawn to an unusually labelled chicken product called Never Any! by Kirkwood. They advertised that the chickens were never ever given antibiotics, had no added hormones, and were fed a 100% vegetarian diet.

Here is some information directly from Aldi’s website about the Never Any! chicken:

No Antibiotics, Ever!

100% Vegetarian Fed

Raised Cage Free**

No Added Hormones or Steroids***

**Chickens sourced for ALDI’s Kirkwood Never Any! Chicken Breasts are raised in modern, state-of-the-art ventilated, lighted (some with curtains that raise for natural light), open barns without cages. The barns provide enrichments and other elements to ensure a comfortable and interactive environment with protection from inclement weather, varying temperatures, disease and predators.

***Federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones or steroids in chicken. [1]

Let’s evaluate what this information actually means.

1 No, Antibiotics, Ever.

This is good. But it is not good enough. We have the poultry industry’s “Never Ever” campaign to thank for the promotion of the “no antibiotics ever” jargon. Those chicken farmers who never use antibiotics can join in the campaign. It is deceptive because it entices people to purchase this product thinking it is healthy, when the product is not healthy – at all. Why? Because of points 2-4, which we will look at now.

2. 100% Vegetarian Fed.

What this really means (when not coupled with an organic label) is that these chickens have been fed a diet of pesticides and genetically modified foods and are lacking some special protein in their diet – which only comes from bugs. Chickens have been designed to forage for their food, eating lots of insects in the process. They can survive on grains and may need some supplementation. [2] However, the type of supplementation they are given is fundamentally important. If chicken is not certified organic, it has been supplemented GMO corn and/or soy which is “Round-up Ready” containing glyphosate.  God did not ever intend chickens or humans to ingest these types of chemicals. Dr. Mercola has several articles warning about the dangers of glyphosate. Here is one.

3. Raised Cage Free.

When the average person reads about “cage free” chickens, they may picture chickens roaming around in green pastures, scratching for bugs and seeds. However, that is not the case. This is acknowledged on Aldi’s webpage – which is good. However, even the wording leaves the reader to believe it is a “safe” “cage free” “comfortable” “protecting” environment for the chickens. When in reality a “cage free” environment is a foul, acrid environment where more than likely beaks have been cut off so the birds don’t peck each other due to the frustration of their confined environment. These conditions may vary depending on whether the chicken is raised for eggs or meat. But both classes of chickens rarely see the sun. Cage free (and free range) chickens may have access to the outdoors, but they rarely wander out of their quarters – sometimes because their breasts are too large to even walk.

4. No Added Hormones or Steroids. 

Again this is deceptive – as seen by the above asterisk and accompanying note. It is against the law to use added hormones or steroids on chickens. This is an advertising technique that exploits a common practice or little known fact, leading the customer to believe it is something extraordinary.

These four deceptive selling points purposely lead the consumer away from the reality of the unhealthy nature of the product. There are additional “selling points” to be wary of such as: natural, all natural, naturally raised, and more.

Tips for buying chicken.

Here are some tips to know which chicken products are best, which chicken products are good, and which chicken products to avoid.

Best chicken (and eggs) will have BOTH these QUALITIES:

• Pastured (Learn about pastured eggs here)
• Organic

Good chicken (and eggs) MUST BE ORGANIC and may share any of these qualities:

• Organic (all good eggs share this quality)
• 100% vegetarian fed
• Cage free
• Free range
• No antibiotics, hormones, etc.

Avoid all chicken (including eggs) that is NOT ORGANIC including these:

• Pastured (unless certified non-GMO – though organic is better)
• 100% vegetarian fed
• No antibiotics, hormones, etc.
• Farm fresh
• Free range
• Cage free

Summary.

To summarize: only eat organic chicken and eggs, pastured if possible. If you can find pastured eggs that are certified non-GMO that would be acceptable, but organic is better.

Let me add that God cares about animals – even the chickens. As humans we have a responsibility to raise them in a way that honors God. Though we may not be farmers, as consumers we share in this responsibility every time we shop.

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[1] Aldi.us (https : //www.aldi.us/en/grocery-home/fresh-meats/poultry/poultry-detail/ps/p/kirkwood-never-any-fresh-whole-chicken/)

[2] http://rodaleinstitute.org/establishing-a-small-scale-sustainable-pastured-poultry-operation/

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Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
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