What Those Mysterious White Stripes On Chicken Are

They're turning up now more than ever before.

Sep 27, 2017

Ever wonder what those mysterious white stripes on your chicken were? They're turning up now more than ever before. While they don't harm human health, scientific studies indicate they can affect the quality of your meat.

Latest in Ingredients
Poultry Processor Saves $239,000+ Per Year
Sponsored
Poultry Processor Saves $239,000+ Per Year
November 4, 2026
I Stock 185902790
Potatoes Could Be the Secret to Better Plant-Based Meat
October 29, 2026
Four colorful Noble beverage cans in green, orange, yellow, and red arranged on a wooden surface near water
Noble Labs Expands Mobile THC Beverage Manufacturing Services
October 28, 2026
Paul Hudson and the study's co-lead author, PhD student Axel Knave, examine cyanobacterial samples in the lab where they tested 15,000 variants of the enzyme Rubisco.
With Future Crops in Mind, Scientists Tackle a Flaw in Photosynthesis
October 27, 2026
Related Stories
[object Object]
Ingredients
Judge Tosses Suits Over '100 Percent Parmesan' Claims
Mnet 153880 Stevia Listing Image
Ingredients
Companies Race To Capitalize On Stevia
Mnet 152752 Gluten Free Outside Listing
Ingredients
Key Steps to Ensuring the Gluten-Free Status of Food Products
Poultry Processor Saves $239,000+ Per Year
Sponsor Content
Poultry Processor Saves $239,000+ Per Year
More in Ingredients
Invisible Risks That Fail Compliance
Sponsored
Invisible Risks That Fail Compliance
How to keep airborne food dust under control in production areas.
November 6, 2026
I Stock 185902790
Ingredients
Potatoes Could Be the Secret to Better Plant-Based Meat
A version using potato protein "had a great structure" — but more work is needed on its flavor.
October 29, 2026
Four colorful Noble beverage cans in green, orange, yellow, and red arranged on a wooden surface near water
Ingredients
Noble Labs Expands Mobile THC Beverage Manufacturing Services
It will bring equipment and a production team directly to licensed cannabis facilities
October 28, 2026
Paul Hudson and the study's co-lead author, PhD student Axel Knave, examine cyanobacterial samples in the lab where they tested 15,000 variants of the enzyme Rubisco.
Ingredients
With Future Crops in Mind, Scientists Tackle a Flaw in Photosynthesis
Rubisco is arguably the most important enzyme for life on Earth.
October 27, 2026
I Stock 458386411
Ingredients
Australian Judge Rejects Prisoner’s Challenge to Vegemite Ban
He argued that withholding the polarizing spread breached his right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.”
October 26, 2026
Calley Means, senior advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, delivers remarks at HHS Headquarters in Washington, Feb. 11, 2026.
Ingredients
Top RFK Jr. Adviser Resigns
Means rose to prominence as a critic of ultraprocessed foods, additives and pesticides.
October 23, 2026
I Stock 1401578258
Ingredients
The Science and Politics Behind the Panic Over Ultraprocessed Foods
The debate around these products is not nearly as settled as it may seem.
October 22, 2026
I Stock 2291372330
Ingredients
Wild Plants' Existing Genetic Variation Helped Domesticate Rice and Corn
Crop domestication can stake a claim to being among the most pivotal advances in human history.
October 12, 2026
Strawberries, grown using a steam-powered farming machine, in Watsonville, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026.
Ingredients
Strawberry Farmer Hopes Steam Holds the Key to a Better Crop
Plants on a California farm are still producing fruit well after the harvest would typically end.
October 9, 2026
Buckwheat cereal on a shelf at a grocery store in Rochester, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2026.
Ingredients
Buckwheat Growers Hope New Markets Can Help It Reach More Tables
Organic farmers see buckwheat — often used as a cover crop — as one way to change the food system.
October 7, 2026
Hand holding a medical diagnostic test device with red collection sphere against blue background
Ingredients
Candy-coated Lollylab Can Test Saliva for Medication
This peach-flavored prototype reliably detected pain reliever in saliva.
October 6, 2026
I Stock 2259603154
Labeling
Lawsuit Accuses Starbucks of Mislabeling 'Sugar-free' Protein Drinks
The coffeehouse chain said the sugar in the drinks comes from protein-boosted milk.
October 6, 2026
I Stock 2229498670
Ingredients
Who’s Shaping the Debate Over Ultra-processed Foods?
Industry ties are common among researchers who criticize how ultra-processed foods are classified.
October 2, 2026
A customer poses beside a giant durian display, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, June 22, 2026.
Ingredients
Malaysia Pushes to Take the Pungent Durian Beyond the Roadside Stand
Devotees savor durians like wine.
September 29, 2026
Alanna Hale/CNN via AP
Ingredients
Chef David Chang Hits the Road in Food-centric Travel Series
The show aims to explore and connect with locals to find hidden gems.
September 25, 2026