Congressmen fight for change in natural and pumped chicken

In a letter to USDA, Chip Pickering (Mississippi) and Dennis Cardoza (California), who is also chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic agriculture, has asked that the USDA prohibit “natural” labels on any fresh chicken that has been pumped. He also asked that “solution statements” be more prominently displayed so that consumers can more readily see injected ingredients.

“Consumers are being cheated in their wallets and their health. They are buying chicken by weight that has been injected with 15% sodium water. And they are buying chicken as a health-conscious decision, but getting 800% more sodium per serving than truly natural chicken.”