Exciting news: Last week, over 9 million viewers of primetime Italian news network Indovina Chi Viene A Cena watched an exposé of the disturbing reality of modern chicken production–and Compassion USA’s Spaghetti Meat campaign was showcased front and center!

The reporters examined the evolution of the factory farming industry and its heralding of the modern broiler chicken as a “miracle” of genetic selection. They then outlined how that push for a faster-growing bird has led to lower meat quality and extensive pain and suffering for the animal through degenerative muscle disorders, like spaghetti meat and white striping.

The whole world is waking up to the cruelty of the factory farming system. Check it out!

Haven’t seen the original video in English? Watch below!

What is Spaghetti Meat?

Though hidden behind factory farm doors for years, the disturbingly-dubbed “spaghetti meat”—a disgusting phenomenon resulting from selectively breeding birds to grow so massive, so quickly—is now front and center on store shelves.

Such dangerously fast growth has disastrous animal welfare consequences: Chickens often struggle to walk and can suffer from leg deformities, respiratory problems, and heart attacks. Even worse, they may be in chronic pain from the time they are just two weeks old.

Spaghetti meat—much like its equally nasty cousin, white striping—is a direct result of degenerative muscle disorders. In short, when the muscle tissues are forced to grow too quickly the body can’t provide oxygen and nutrients fast enough, causing the muscle to breakdown and separate turning into this thin, noodle-like structure. That results in a breakdown of easily separated muscle fibers, creating the characteristic spaghetti texture.

The bad news for consumers: The meat resulting from chickens who suffer from white striping and spaghetti meat is associated with less protein, in addition to higher fat for meat affected by white striping.

The good news for consumers: It doesn’t have to be this way. More producers are choosing to raise chickens with healthier genetics, that allow them grow slower and not suffer from these diseases. That means a significantly improved quality of life for chickens and a higher quality product for consumers.

Use your voice and demonstrate you won’t stand for this unnecessary suffering by signing your name to our petition demanding food business commit to sourcing chickens with healthier genetics.