White striping is a quality factor in chicken breast meat caused by deposits of fat in the muscle during the bird’s growth and development. White striping is not a food safety issue, and chicken remains a nutritious choice.

We don’t know exactly how common white striping is in Canada; studies on US chickens may not be comparable as chickens in Canada are generally not grown as big (and size and growth rate have been identified as risk factors for white striping). One study from Ontario found a very low prevalence of moderate white striping, and no severe white striping (Che et al., 2022). In another study from Quebec, approximately 26 out of 206 samples (12.6%) had any degree of white striping (Summari et al., 2023).

The National Chicken Council has an informative article about this, which you can review for more information.

It is true that chickens grow faster today than in the past, and this may be one factor contributing to white striping. However, it’s important to understand how chickens are able to grow faster: this is thanks to improvements in genetics, nutrition, husbandry, and veterinary care. It’s also important to note what is not making chickens grow faster: hormones or steroids. These have been illegal in chicken production in Canada since the 1960s.

Canada has a mandatory, enforced, and auditable national animal care program based on the National Farm Animal Care Council’s Code of practice. Click here to learn more about the high animal care standards for chickens raised in Canada.