Why Is Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Sometimes Green (And Is It Safe To Eat)?

Costco's eagle-eyed customers have noticed some changes recently with its easiest . First, the warehouse chain , and now it's serving up occasionally green poultry. No, this isn't a segue into a discussion about Dr.

Suess' "Green Eggs and Ham" (or how to ). Turns out, larger chickens can develop a condition that eventually makes their breast muscles turn green. The upside here is that this doesn't make them unsafe to eat.



Of course, this isn't common knowledge outside of experts in the poultry industry, so when some customers came home with chicken from Costco that was green on the inside, they naturally had concerns. Back in April, Costco's rotisserie chickens were placed in the hot seat when a Reddit user posted a thread inquiring why the inside of the rotisserie chicken was green. While not many commenters knew why the chicken was green, most were quick to say they wouldn't eat the bird.

Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other experts can calm those concerns.

What makes chicken breast green? Unless you're the Jolly Green Giant, green meat is pretty unorthodox no matter how explain it. explains that larger chickens can develop a condition called ischemic myopathy, otherwise known as green breast. The larger birds can have breast muscles that are so large it's difficult for blood to flow to the muscles.

This unnatural state can damage the chicken's blood supply to the breast if they are moving around a lot. Without a steady blood supply, the muscle dies and turns green. This can also happen to larger turkeys.

If the big bird lives long enough, the muscle will develop white scar tissue and no longer be green, but the USDA notes that, throughout all of this, the bird is not a food safety hazard. Since this commonly happens with broiler chickens that grow at a rapid pace, there are minimal ways to prevent the condition. Experts recommend not startling chickens to reduce the wing flapping activity and to monitor their feeding so they don't grow as large as quickly (not to mention growth hormones).

If you need any more info to ease your green chicken worries, you might be comforted to know that this is not a new phenomenon among Costco's favorite chicken deal. This has been going on for years and will likely continue into the future barring some major change in the poultry industry. The green breast may not be a safety concern for customers, but we shouldn't forget when it comes to animal welfare.

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