Chickening Out
It’s official: No “chlorinated” chickens will be allowed into any of the countries of the European Union. Translation: Chickens from the United States washed in a chlorine solution are now banned.
“But, hey,” protests the U.S., “this is the best way to kill bacteria on the chickens once they’ve been slaughtered. You can always wash the bleach off.”
We’ve got a better idea, the E.U. responded. Raise your chickens in healthy, hygenic conditions. That will take care of the bacteria problem–without the bleach.
Word of the E.U. decision arrived here just as one of France’s most famous chicken-growing cooperatives was celebrating its 50th anniversary–the Loue chickens. For 50 years these birds have been raised in perfectly organic conditions. Several hundred thousand of them reach the market annually, although foxes in the Loue neighborhood in northwestern France are chubby. They manage to grab nearly a quarter million of the favored fowl each year despite farmers’ best attempts to round their birds up each night and close them in.
The chickens’ days, however, are idyllic, roaming around the myriad of farms in the Loue area that supply the co-operative. In addition to whatever nice, juicy worms they find, the chickens get the purest grain possible. No commercially-manufactured or genetically modified feed is allowed.
Loue birds get the added benefit of a very long life–three months longer than other chickens destined for the human food chain. And, as French gourmets know, the flesh of these pampered volaille is both tender and succulent.
So, happy birthday Loue. And many more.