23rd July 2019, Queensland

Poultry is the common choice of meat among non-vegetarians whose decision-making is guided by cost-cutting, nutritional checks, etc. Chicken is one of the most versatile meats out there in the market and is responsible for giving birth to some of the best gourmet non-vegetarian recipes known to gastronomes everywhere. However, when customers in Queensland and other Australian cities buy meat online or offline, they seldom exercise caution in terms of a critical aspect- labelling.

Labelling of chicken
Chicken is labelled on several grounds, that pertain to their breeding, life cycle, quality of life in captivity, processing, etc. The most common labels that customers should educate themselves about are:

• Air-chilled
Air-chilling is the process of refrigerating chicken meat in an air-cooled environment rather than by soaking them in a chlorinated bath. Quality butcheries that sell online meat in Queensland and other Australian cities usually do so to ensure that the meat is not saturated by water.

• Organic
FREPA dictates that organic meat has not been introduced to synthetic substances in its life cycle. Non-organic meat is often sold in online distributions and at small-scale retailers as ‘all natural’ or ‘natural’; these blanket terms are not the same as ‘organic’.

• Raised without antibiotics
Customers should always check the label for information related to the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are essential for the bird to remain healthy and produce healthy meat; however, these diktats are seldom enforced.

• Natural and all natural
‘Natural’ and ‘all natural’ only applies to the freshness of the chicken. Some vendors imply that it refers to the natural life led by free-range chicken. However, those who buy offline or online meat in Queensland and other Australian cities must remember that in no capacity does this label mean that the chicken has been processed without synthetic chemicals, when alive or after slaughter.

• Vegetarian-fed and vegetarian diet
Just like ‘natural’ and ‘all natural’, the phrases ‘vegetarian-fed’ and ‘vegetarian-diet’ are non-regulated labels. For those who buy meat online and offline, it should ideally mean that the birds are raised on a diet of corn and soy. However, the truth is that most of these so-called ‘vegetarian-fed’ and ‘vegetarian-diet’ birds are raised on a diet of bakery leftovers.