‘Mine did this the other day from Walmart!!’: Woman shows stringy chicken breast. Viewers think ‘lab-grown’ meat is to blame
In a viral TikTok video, a Walmart customer shows the off-putting inside of a raw chicken breast she picked up from Walmart, sparking debate about the origins of the meat.
In the clip, Alisa (@alisaorsomething) is seen preparing her chicken breast and coating it in breadcrumbs before proceeding to show the rather disgusting inside part of the meat.
If you're squeamish, be warned about what comes next.
As she lifts the chicken breast, Alisa reveals what looks like cooked spaghetti tendrils coming out of the meat as it rips down the middle.
"Yeah so this might be my last straw with chicken," the text overlay on the video read.
The video resonated with viewers, gaining more than 2.2 million views and over 3,300 comments as of Wednesday morning.
"I'm this close to becoming a vegetarian," Alisa says.
@alisaorsomething I'm this close 🤏 to becoming a vegetarian
♬ goofy ahh ringtone - h o n d a c i v i c
According to Men's Health, researchers have dubbed this chicken phenomenon "spaghetti meat." The characteristics of it are chicken breasts that can be easily pulled apart by hand and have spaghetti-like musculature. On the other end is "woody meat," or chick that's tough and leathery.
The outlet reported that these unpleasant texture changes are the result of the quick growth rate of commercially farmed chicken.
"This occurs because the breast muscle tissue doesn't receive enough oxygen from chickens’ developing circulatory systems. Muscle fibers degrade, which then changes the density and texture of meat," the outlet reported.
These abnormal meat samples make up about 4 to 5% of chicken. To combat the issue, at least one farm is killing the chickens at a younger age to reduce the impact of the growth hormones.
Despite how offputting the chicken can look to consumers, it does not pose a known danger.
Still, some viewers argued the unfounded claim that Alisa had purchased "lab-grown" chicken.
"That is lab grown chicken," one user said.
"Weren't they talking about lab produced chicken a couple months ago," another wrote.
Several viral videos have spread rumors about "lab-grown" or "3D-printed" chicken when consumers encounter stringy chicken like Alisa had. However, lab-grown chicken is only available in a few select restaurants at the moment, per the Scientific American.
Regardless of the chicken's origin, commenters were largely disgusted by the meat in Alisa's video.
"I miss the person I was 5 seconds ago," a top comment read.
"GREAT DAY TO BE A VEGETARIAN," a person said.
"Bro that was MY last straw with chicken and it wasn’t even my dinner," another wrote.
"It’s like spaghetti squash, but chicken," a further user described.
Others offered their solutions.
"Go to local butcher or farmer. Worth it. Also,if you have a Wegmans in your state-- their organic chicken always good," a viewer pointed out.
Another person shared that they only eat meat a couple of times in their household so they can afford to buy it from a local farmer.
The Daily Dot previously covered a Walmart customer who tried to get their money back after purchasing "stringy" chicken.
The Daily Dot reached out to Alisa via TikTok comment and to Walmart via email.
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