Pigments in chicken and egg: that dark object of desire

Benjamín Ruiz: "Personally, a pigmented chicken broth is more appetizing for me than a white chicken broth (even knowing that there is no difference in nutritional value). But I don’t think anyone attributes extraordinary properties to pigmented products."

Ruiz B 90x90 Headshot
Chicken without pigmentation and with pigmentation: same nutritional value. | Photo by Benjamín Ruiz
Chicken without pigmentation and with pigmentation: same nutritional value. | Photo by Benjamín Ruiz

Every day, I am surprised by the reactions of people when one mentions the phrase poultry production. It seems as if the demon was unleashed. It seems people easily fall into the "natural" and "healthy" nets.

For many in Latin America, predominantly in Mexico, pigmentation of chicken and eggs (with natural pigments, of course) is something that is not even questioned. People like well-colored yellow chicken, as well as egg yolks that are almost orange. Personally, a pigmented chicken broth is more appetizing for me than a white chicken broth (even knowing that there is no difference in nutritional value). But I don’t think anyone attributes extraordinary properties to pigmented products.

However, in other places, people believe that yellow chicken is more natural, that it is even a "happier chicken." I do not know why they came up with that idea, but last Tuesday in the Spanish newspaper El País they explained that it is linked to the idea that free and happy chickens eat twigs, little flowers and bugs here and there, which give them that color. In addition, they even believe that it is more ecological.

They are reinventing the wheel! Now it turns out that a practice that has been taking place for decades in quality feeds produces something desirable with an image of nature, freedom and happiness. Maybe it's a marketing aspect that needs to be exploited more. And besides, they are natural pigments!

I just hope that, as in Buñuel's film – whose title I took for this blog – we will not play with obsessions and move from love to hatred. What do you think?

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