Have you ever looked at a chicken breast, and noticed white stripes in it? Well, you may have guessed that those stripes are fat, but there's another thing those stripes can tell you.
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Chickens bred and raised in an organic environment will have far fewer white stripes running through their meat, whereas those raised on battery farms (where the farmer looks to get the chicken fatter for slaughter at a much faster rate, by overfeeding and preventing them from exercising) have far more 'white stripes'.
Nutritionists and food scientists believe that while these white stripes are not harmful to humans, or in no way affect the protein content in the meat, they are certainly an indicator of how the chicken was raised.
Compassion in World Farming, a US-based organization that aims to raise awareness about the cruel way farm animals are prepared for slaughter, however, has put out a video to educate people about the meat they eat (see video below).
The organization, which is attempting to end what they call "factory farming" through educating consumers, hopes that they can get meat-eaters to be more discerning about the meat they buy and where it comes from.
White-striping in chicken meat is far more prevalent in the US where the laws against the inhuman treatment of animals on farms are not as stringent as they are in Europe.
A 2016 study by the University of Arkansas and Texas A&M found that in fact "the severity of white striping has increased in recent years". The study found that 96% of the birds tested showed white-striping.
So the next time you go to a supermarket, or your local butcher, to buy those juicy chicken breasts, check for white stripes in the meat, and try and buy chicken that is born and bred in humane conditions, rather than those tortured on battery farms.
