Chicken as food
Chicken is the second most consumed meat worldwide.
Chicken is the most common type of poultry and the second most consumed meat in the world, after pork. Owing to the relative ease and low cost of raising chickens, chicken meat and eggs have become prevalent in numerous cuisines. Chicken can be prepared in a vast range of ways, including baking, grilling, barbecuing, frying, boiling, and roasting, and since the latter half of the 20th century, prepared chicken has become a staple of fast food.
- field
- Food and agriculture
- known_for
- Most common type of poultry; second most consumed meat worldwide
- global_population_2011
- 19 billion chickens
Lore & Background
The modern chicken is a descendant of red junglefowl hybrids along with the grey junglefowl first raised thousands of years ago in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. In the United States in the 1800s, chicken was more expensive than other meats and was sought by the rich. Chicken consumption in the U.S. increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork. In the post-World War II period, the USDA along with the A&P and others embarked on a program to breed the chicken of tomorrow, leading to the creation of the Cornish Rock Cross in the late 1940s—a chicken with an efficient feed conversion ratio, speedy to rear, and good meat quality. The trends for improved feed conversion ratio and quality have continued, and the adoption of higher-yielding chickens spread from the USA to Europe and beyond.
Reader's Guide
Chicken as food holds significant global importance due to its widespread consumption and economic role. The poultry farming industry takes on a range of forms across different parts of the world, with developed countries typically using intensive farming methods and less-developed areas using more traditional techniques. Chicken meat is sometimes cited as being more healthy than red meat, with lower concentrations of cholesterol and saturated fat. However, the use of feed additives such as roxarsone in factory farming has raised health concerns. The FDA approval for roxarsone and two other arsenic poultry drugs were voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers in September 2013, and the final remaining arsenic drug nitarsone was banned at the end of 2015. Antibiotic resistance in humans appears to be directly related to the use of antibiotics in poultry production, according to information obtained by the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance. Chickens are recognized as sentient animals capable of experiencing pain and distress, which has led to ongoing scientific and ethical discussions regarding their treatment in food production systems. Some countries are moving towards slower-growing breeds or introducing standards for higher welfare.
Did You Know?
- Chicken is the second most consumed meat in the world, after pork.
- In the United States in the 1800s, chicken was more expensive than other meats and was sought by the rich.
- The FDA approval for the feed additive roxarsone was voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers in September 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is chicken as food?
Chicken is the most common type of poultry and the second most consumed meat globally, behind only pork. Its dominance in diets worldwide comes from how simple and inexpensive it is to raise chickens.
Why is chicken so widely eaten around the world?
The low cost and relative ease of raising chickens have made their meat and eggs a staple across a huge number of cuisines. This accessibility is the main reason chicken has climbed to the second-highest position in global meat consumption.
How is chicken typically prepared?
Chicken can be baked, grilled, barbecued, fried, boiled, or roasted, giving it an enormous range of culinary applications. Since the latter half of the 20th century, prepared chicken has also become a defining staple of fast-food menus.
What field does chicken as food fall under?
Chicken belongs to the field of food and agriculture. It is widely recognized as the most common type of poultry and the second most consumed meat in the world, after pork.
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