One of Costco’s most popular items is its rotisserie chickens.
Looking at the chicken, it’s easy to see why. At a time when the price of everything seems to be increasing, buying a Costco rotisserie chicken has remained cheap. Given this, it’s no surprise that the internet is filled with videos of people lining up to buy them.
However, no matter how tasty or inexpensive the chicken may be, some have claimed that there are problems with the meat that you should be concerned about.
What’s wrong with Costco rotisserie chicken?
In a video with over 7 million views, TikTok user Warren Phillips (@nontoxicdad) explains what he says are some of the issues with Costco’s famous rotisserie chicken.
“This little peep is only about 6 weeks old,” he says, referring to the chicken. “This is a specially bred chicken in horrible conditions grown and fattened on likely corn and soy that’s GMO to create this chicken in 6 weeks that you’re eating.”
He then claims that the chicken is dipped in “chlorine and other toxins.” This, he says, leaves a residue on it.
“This bird isn’t just seasoned with normal herbs and spices,” he continues. “They have preservatives in here like sodium phosphate that’s linked to liver and kidney damage, and carrageenan, which can degrade into polyggenin, which is a known inflammatory agent and possible carcinogen.”
His final point concerns the hot chicken being placed in a plastic bag. He claims that “nobody really knows what type of plastic bag this is,” but he speculates that it is “likely a mix of polyethylene terephthalate,” which he says is a hormone disruptor.
Is any of this true?
As Phillips’s previous claims have lacked necessary nuance, it’s important to examine each of his claims one by one.
To start, Phillips says that Costco’s chickens are slaughtered at six weeks. While this is true, it’s not unique to Costco. Chickens are generally slaughtered at around 5 or 6 weeks after they’ve reached the desired size.
Next, Phillips says the chickens are “in horrible conditions” during their lives and that they likely eat “corn and soy that’s GMO.” Ignoring the fact that GMO is not necessarily a good or bad thing, Costco has not revealed the diet of its chickens. However, corn and soybeans is a standard diet for broiler chickens.
In regards to the “horrible conditions,” while Costco has been criticized for its treatment of chickens in the past, conditions have improved. Still, they are largely in line with industry standards.
But commenters weren’t as concerned with this information. Instead, they wanted to know more about the supposed chemicals that were present in the Costco rotisserie chickens.
Are there chemicals in your rotisserie chicken?
Phillips says that Costco dips its chickens in “chlorine and other toxins” before allowing them to be sold.
What he does not mention, again, is that this is a standard industry practice performed to reduce pathogens like Salmonella. It is also regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and there are strict limits that must be followed in order for a good to be considered safe for sale and consumption.
Next, Costco’s rotisserie chicken does have chemicals like sodium phosphate. That said, it is generally regarded as safe, though excessive amounts of it have been linked to heart and kidney issues.
Following that, Phillips says the chickens contain “carrageenan, which can degrade into poligeenan, which is a known inflammatory agent and possible carcinogen.”
Sources differ on whether or not Costco’s chickens contain carrageenan. Whether there’s a risk of carrageenan degrading into poligeenan in the digestive system is debated. However, the science suggests that it is possible.
To conclude, he says the chickens are sold in bags made of polyethylene terephthalate. The Daily Dot could not confirm the composition of the bag. There are a variety of plastics that have been approved by the FDA for hot food storage. In general, Consumer Reports notes that while safety depends on the type of plastic being used, one can reduce any risk by simply removing the chicken from the plastic as soon as possible.
@nontoxicdad Rotisserie chicken 🐓 may look enticing, but don’t be fooled…it’s tempting but TOXIC! Yes, Costco (and many other stores) are guilty of selling you dirty birds! 🍗 If you like rotisserie chicken from Costco after a long day to avoid cooking a meal, here are some reasons why you may want to buy your own chicken or find a less toxic pre-cooked meal: 👇 ❌ Poor quality of life: These chickens are only 6 weeks old, specially bred and raised in horrible conditions and fed likely mostly GMO corn and soy to fatten them fast. This helps produce bigger chickens for meat, but the nutrition profile will be much worse than free-range chickens or outdoor chickens with their natural diet and regularly exposed to sun and soil. ❌ Unappetizing “cleaning” processes: After slaughter, chickens are dipped in a chlorine solution with other toxins that are supposed to “clean” them, leaving harmful residues on the meat and making them just as “dirty” as they were before the synthetic substance swim! ☠️ 🐔 ❌ Toxic Seasoning: The herbs and spices aren’t natural or clean—they often contain compounds like sodium phosphate (linked to liver/kidney damage) and carrageenan (which can degrade into a c@rcinogenic, inflammatory agent). ❌ Plastic Packaging: The hot chicken is stored in a plastic bag, likely made of a polyethylene terephthalate (AKA phthalates) mix, which can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into your food. Even once it gets to room temperature, it’s still leaching phthalates and microplastics into your food that you will ingest. 🤢 🍗 With an estimated 117 million rotisserie chickens eaten yearly in the U.S., it’s time to find a less toxic convenient food – and Costco does have some less toxic options that require just as little prep as rotisserie chicken. So before you find a better option at Costco for yourself, share this with a Costco Chicken Carnivore you know to spread the word that Costco rotisserie chicken is pestilent poultry! #Chicken #RotisserieChicken #Costco #FoodFacts #NonToxicLiving ♬ original sound – NonToxicDad
Commenters aren’t convinced
In the comments section, users didn’t appear swayed by Phillips’ argument.
“Everything we eat is poison,” declared a commenter.
“ha ha ha who cares it’s delicious,” added another.
“I don’t care..I buy those all the time,” offered a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Costco via media relations contact and Phillips via email.
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The post ‘117 million of these are eaten each year’: Expert reveals Kirkland rotisserie chickens are 6 weeks old when you buy them at Costco. Is that bad? appeared first on The Daily Dot.