Warning over gross 'Spaghetti Meat' phenomenon impacting more than one third of American poultry

Have you ever gone to prepare a chicken breast and noticed it was a little bit… stringy? If so, then you may have encountered ‘Spaghetti Meat Chicken’ - a common muscle issue that can affect more than one-third of poultry.

Chicken is one of the world’s favourite meats, with the Royal Society of Open Science confirming that around 50 billion of the animals are consumed globally every year.

And that number is only set to rise further, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The pair previously predicted that global chicken consumption would further accelerate in the next ten years.

If you’re a regular consumer who loves nothing more than whipping up protein-packed meals at home, then you may have found that, when cutting into a supermarket-bought breast, it sometimes looks and feels particularly stringy.

Chicken breast consumption is on the rise, and apparently so is muscle separation (HUIZENG HU/Getty Stock Image)

This phenomenon is officially called ‘Spaghetti Meat' chicken.

Here’s everything you need to know about it, including whether experts have deemed it safe to eat.

What is 'Spaghetti Meat' chicken?

Speaking to Delish, Dr David Gerrard, Director of Virginia Tech’s School of Animal Science, said that chicken meat sometimes unravels into soft strings because the connective tissue strength that holds the muscle bundles decreases.

He reasoned that the concern, initially known as ‘mushy breast’, can affect between 10 and 35 percent of chickens in the American poultry industry.

The bizarre abnormality is usually confined to the chicken breast. However, a 2021 study, published in Frontiers, found that it can also affect chicken legs and thigh muscles.

Meat products derived from turkeys and pigs have also shown signs of muscle separation.

Can you eat 'Spaghetti Meat' chicken?

The short answer is yes: various studies suggest that consuming chicken with myopathy - muscle disease characterised by weakness - is safe.

However, research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information said that meat affected by muscle abnormalities may have less protein and more fat.

What’s more, when cooked, 'Spaghetti Meat' chicken can be drier than any chicken breast with a muscle issue.

“Because of this change in structure, there is a corresponding loss in sensory properties when these filets are cooked,” Gerrard explained.

How to avoid 'Spaghetti Meat' chicken

By avoiding mass-produced chicken breasts, you're less likley to experience 'Spaghetti Meat' (Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Stock Image)

Despite experts declaring chicken with muscle deficiency safe to eat, you may be unwilling to compromise on texture.

If this is the case, then you should avoid purchasing mass-produced chickens that are raised quickly via selective breeding.

Instead, opt to buy from small-scale suppliers that raise their animals slowly, Delish wrote.

These breasts are likely to be smaller and cost a little bit more than mass-produced ones.

It’s also advised that you look out for a USDA organic designation - a certification that verifies farms and businesses meeting strict US standards.

These products are also usually grown without prohibited pesticides.

On the flipside, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recommends swapping meat for vegan alternatives.

“It’s easy to avoid ‘spaghetti meat’ chicken: If you buy only vegan chicken, you won’t end up with a dead animal’s stringy muscle fibres on your plate, and you’ll be able to enjoy your meal knowing that no birds suffered for it,” the charity wrote.