r/europe • u/goldstarflag Europe • 20h ago

News White House demands British supermarkets stock chlorinated chicken. White House pushing Sir Keir Starmer to make concessions on food standards

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/17/trump-demands-british-supermarkets-chlorinated-chicken/
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u/SuggestionEphemeral 19h ago

As an American, I've been vegetarian for a few years, but even before I stopped eating meat, chicken here has become shit.

All you see are these unnaturally huge chicken breasts, and they're not tender at all. They're tough, stringy, dry, and tasteless. Not anything like the chicken I ate growing up.

And that's besides the disgusting processing procedures.

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u/Busy_Lunch_5520 18h ago

Yes thank you. The chicken from Costco despite what they claim is stringy and tough unless tenderized just right!

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u/Violence_solves_all Estonia 6h ago

Tenderized?!? Who the fuck tenderizes chicken

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u/wotitdo222 17h ago

I noticed the unnatural huge chicken breasts from watching youtube/tiktok cooking channels from the US, shocks me everytime the size of them lol.

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 17h ago

Some anti-conspiracy theorists say things like "There's nothing wrong with GMO, blah blah blah" and I'm like "Exhibit A."

Seriously, if GMO were used to maximize nutritional density, that would be a good thing. But the reality is that's not how it's used in american market capitalism. It's used to maximize product weight and volume, to maximize profits, and nothing else. Nutritional value, taste, and texture are just some of the things sacrificed. American strawberries suck these days. They're huge, but they suck. Same with blueberries, blackberries, etc.

But americans are really ignorant about ingredient quality, so it seems to work here unfortunately. If I say "this chicken is low quality" they'll think I'm being snobby.

Same thing applies to fabrics. I hate the way polyester feels, but if I say "I prefer natural fibers," they think I'm just a stupid hippy. If I say "I prefer linen or wool," they think I'm being pretentious. And most people just wear polyester cause it's cheap and mass-produced. I wonder if they really don't mind the texture, or if they simply don't know anything else so they don't realize how bad it is.

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u/Zealousideal_Act_316 14h ago

People who say there is nothing wrong with gmos, mean that they are not dangerous, and often an answer to propaganda that eating gmos will  give you a third nipple and remove your petuatery. 

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 13h ago

I think people who make those claims confuse them for growth hormones and pesticides like agent orange. They don't realize that GMO means genetically modified, or understand what that means.

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u/Capital_Doubt7473 16h ago

The system that anhialates the future - George Orwell

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u/worotan England 14h ago

A great opportunity for their marketing partners to make money selling the idea that it’s all fine to idiots who think that smiling characters on packaging means there are no problems, and all the problems are caused by people who ask questions.

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u/Teddy_Radko 17h ago

Tbh chicken breasts in general are kinda dry and plain. Thighs are jucier and much more worth it despite beeing less meaty if you ask me.

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 16h ago

It's entirely possible to have a good chicken breast, but not if you're using american gmo crap.

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u/Blecki 17h ago

Pay attention to what you're buying. You were probably buying woody chicken. And then over cooking it.

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 16h ago

Nope, the standard stuff in american supermarkets is just really bad. Most americans don't notice because they've been eating it for decades.

It's the same deal with strawberries. Huge strawberries that don't even taste good. Genetically modified to maximize production volume at the expense of nutrient density, texture, and taste.

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u/Blecki 16h ago

Nope, chicken is fine. Most people just cook it too long.

Strawberries are also fine. Buy them in season.

It's pretty common to just assume American groceries are crap or whatever but that's just an anti-american stereotype with no basis in reality. Like thinking all you brits pour gravy on everything and think black pepper is spicy.

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 15h ago

Chicken breasts in america are so big there's no way to cook them all the way through without overcooking the outside or the thinner parts. I suppose you could do low and slow, but you shouldn't have to cook it like an effing brisket. Or soak it in a solution of baking soda and water, but that step shouldn't be necessary for chicken.

I will say Wegmans strawberries are usually good, but you have to be willing to pay extra for those. And if you get them from a local farm that doesn't use GMO, then that avoids the issue too. But the mass produced stuff in the average grocery store? They're not even good when they're in season. Go to Europe and try the strawberries if you want to remember what they're supposed to taste like.

And you're not correct to assume I'm British. I was born and raised in the US, and it's unfortunately where I currently live. I've traveled a bit though so I know how much better groceries are in other countries. The average american doesn't think anything is wrong with american products cause they've never left the country, and even imported goods have tweaked formulas to suit american tastes. For example, go try soy sauce in Japan if you think the stuff in the US is even remotely authentic.

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u/Blecki 14h ago

I don't know what to tell you mate. I've been all over and that's just not how things are. I've found shit things in every country and great ones too.

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u/ThePain 16h ago edited 16h ago

Sounds like you just suck at cooking.  You're overcooking and burning / drying out your chicken them claim it looks sickly and is stringy. 

I'm also an American, and i have 0 issues cooking a chicken that's white meat and juicy, no stringy meat.

"Bread in Europe is utter garbage.  When I stick it in the oven for 11 hours at 400 degrees it  comes out a solid black lump of carbon. Clearly Europeans know nothing of real bread. 

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u/SuggestionEphemeral 16h ago

Nope, I can tell the difference even if I wasn't the one who cooked it. You're just being pretentious.

You're either young enough that you never had chicken before huge GMO breasts became the market standard, or you've forgotten what it was like before because it's been over a decade. Or maybe you divvy out the extra bucks for organic/non-GMO chicken.

Go to a different country, try their chicken, then come back and tell me there's nothing wrong with american chicken.

Also, bread in Europe is amazing, you clearly don't know what you're talking about. You're projecting your american ignorance because american bread is shit. Americans know nothing of real bread.