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The autopsy of chicken nuggets reads "chicken little"
Richard D deShazo1, Steven Bigler, Leigh Baldwin Skipworth
1Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss; Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss.
Purpose:
To determine the contents of chicken nuggets from 2 national food chains.
Background:
Chicken nuggets have become a major component of the American diet. We sought to determine the current composition of this highly processed food.
Methods:
Randomly selected nuggets from 2 different national fast food chains were fixed in formalin, sectioned and stained for microscopic analysis.
Results:
Striated muscle (chicken meat) was not the predominate component in either nugget. Fat was present in equal or greater quantities along with epithelium, bone, nerve, and connective tissue.
Conclusion:
Chicken nuggets are mostly fat, and their name is a misnomer.
