Woody breast is an abnormal muscle condition that impacts the texture and usability of
chicken breast meat. The specific cause is not known but may be related to factors associated with rapid growth rates.
Although distasteful to many, meat that exhibits woody breast is not known to be harmful to humans who consume it. When detected by suppliers, product shown to have the condition present may be discounted or processed as ground chicken. Woody breast has become so prevalent in the
broiler industry
The broiler industry is the process by which broiler chickens are reared and prepared for meat consumption. Worldwide, in 2005 production was 71,851,000 tonnes.
From 1985 to 2005, the broiler industry grew by 158%.
A key measure of performance i ...
that the
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has helped fund four research projects with over $250,000 in an effort to understand and address the condition.
Estimates placed the total cost to the global industry as high as
US$1 billion in 2020 for losses associated with managing the woody breast condition in broiler chickens.
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Chicken as food
Poultry farming