Chicken: The Awful Truth

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A scathing new piece on Salon.com details all the ways chicken production is harmful to the planet, our health, and of course, the health of the birds.

Exposing the extreme confinement of egg-laying hens, “white slime”–the poultry industry analog to pink slime–and a 2009 USDA study that found 87 percent of chicken cadavers tested positive for E. coli, the piece leaves readers with plenty of food for thought.

With over eight billion chickens slaughtered per year for food in the U.S., they are arguably the most abused animals on the planet. Mercy For Animals has conducted numerous undercover investigations inside chicken factory farms that revealed horrific cruelty and filthy living conditions.

Luckily, chicken meat is one of the animal products most easily replaced with humane and healthy plant-based alternatives. Companies like Gardein and Beyond Meat make products so realistic even New York Times food journalist Mark Bittman can’t distinguish them from actual chicken meat.

Eggs are also virtually effortless to replace thanks to simple recipes, such as eggless egg salad and scrambled tofu, and a bazillion tips for baking without them.

For more information on how you can leave chickens and other animals off your plate for good, visit ChooseVeg.com.