Fancy The First

I've been wondering how much money a person needs? Like people who have made millions out selling turkeys over decades suddenly going for the big buck by creating a whole range of products that are essentially made from everything but the beaks, claws and feathers.

I'm no veggie freak. I like my meat and I don't mind it raw. I certainly have no qualms about doing my own butchery. But I am not extravagant. Unlike many of my friends and neighbours I extract every last meal out of an animal; however I draw the line at buying food that has been made in a factory like soap powder or shoe polish.

Ever wondered how a chicken nugget gets made? Well here's how they are made for the best companies in Europe and North America.

1. First you build a big factory.


2. To the factory is delivered "prime" skinless boneless chicken breast fillets. These come in one ton cubes direct from a slaughter house that might be a hundred miles away. They are chilled and have not been frozen
   
   Note that the wings and drumsticks are sold separately by the slaughter house the catering and supermarket chains. Most of the thigh meat ends up in chicken pies.


3. The factory also takes delivery of more one ton cubes that are filled with an unpleasant looking slurry. This is the skin and fat and the gunk that has been hosed off the bones to get every last scrap of meat. It is also supplied chilled, has not been frozen ... it smells bad enough to make even a strong stomach retch.


4. The breast fillets are roughly chopped into one centimetre cubes and the skin fat slurry is liquidised into a vomit coloured soup. The soup is then mixed with a number of chemicals and lot of salt and to this is added the breast meat chunks. The whole mess is then moulded into bite sized pieces and slurry glues the bits of meat together.


5. A breadcrumb coating is applied and then the item moves through a pasteurisation chamber where every item is subjected to a salmonella killing 70°C for about 40 seconds. Random samples are checked every half an hour to make sure that the pasteurisation is reliable right thru to the centre of the meat. (Those major outlets don't relish being sued for giving their punters food poisoning!)

Still feel hungry? Does that Turkey Drummer still look as appealing?

Nah! I don't fancy it either!