We take so much for granted when it comes to food. So much so that many of us have lost touch with where and how our food is made. While I understand that much of the food available is processed, there is a distinct disconnect when it comes to understanding exactly what that means.
To make things clearer, here is a look at the world of mechanically separated chicken. While on the surface, the idea of using as much of animal as possible in an effort to avoid waste is a noble one, the addition of chemicals and artificial flavoring agents defeats the purpose all together.
Here is a great picture of some mechanically separated chicken. At the time this image was taken, it was about a third of the way through its processing.
Basically, the entire chicken is smashed and pressed through a sieve—bones, eyes, guts, and all. it comes out looking like this.
There’s more: because it’s crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually. Then, because it tastes gross, it will be re-flavored artificially. Then, because it is weirdly pink, it will be dyed with artificial color. (From Early Onset Of Night)
To illustrate the process in more detail, here are two clips. The first clip seems like a sales video from the manufacturer of the machine. Note the serene sound track and alarming lack of safety features.
The second clip is also a sales/info video. I enjoyed the montage at the end of the clip illustration how versatile this particular model separator is. Again, this clip is accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack.