Chicken Processing Plant Worker: I Will Never Eat Fast Food Nuggets Again

While there are plenty of people who would rather not imagine where their food comes from, many of us would like to know more about how, for example, a chicken goes from clucking and pecking to one of four shapes of Chicken McNugget. During a recent “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit, a current employee of a Perdue chicken processing plant was glad to answer questions, as well as admit he or she will never eat chicken nuggets from a fast food joint ever again.

Working 40 hours a week on a line with bird parts could turn anyone off chicken, but the worker admits to only avoiding chicken nuggets from fast food restaurants. Take that as you will, as there’s no definitive reason or explanation given for the resulting abhorrence of the product.

Every other question makes it sound as if the job is a dream — besides getting a little chemical burn and walking in on coworkers engaged in umm, workplace inappropriate activity, that is. We’ll let you dig around for that particular anecdote at your own risk.

So how much of what we’re eating is actual meat? asked one Reddit user.

“Basically anything you buy in stores such as breasts, tenders, whole birds=100% chicken. So no worries there. Chicken nuggets from fast food restaurants…not so much. lol”

And what’s in these nuggets the worker refuses to eat?

“Oh, it’s all chicken. It’s just not all meat. Some of it’s skin, a few bones, fat, and whatever meat might still be attached to any of the previous mentioned.”

Once again when asked which product he or she won’t touch, the reply came: “Chicken nuggets from fast food places. Trust me.” And if those are a no-go, what about the ones you find in the store?

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but I’d say if they make them like that for fast food, they probably make them like that for stores as well.”

After all the chicken nugget talk, the employee described what fun the gang at the plant has during at typical day:

We do all kinds of shit lol We put them on our hands, I’ve seen people pretend to be humping them, everything. We have ice carts for if chicken hits the floor. We put it on the cart and take it to reprocessing where it gets disinfected and inspected to see if it can still be used. My supervisor spent 15 minutes making the birds on the cart “look like they were trying to be sexy”…yeah lol

If you don’t mind being put off chicken nuggets for the rest of your life and might enjoy making birds look sexy, sounds like the job for you.

I work at a chicken processing plant and I know where your food comes from…AMA! [Reddit]

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