would you eat chicken stock made with conventional chicken?

[ursusarctos]

A few weeks ago, we bought a small whole roast chicken from the grocery section of our local supermarket. It was not organic or free range in any way. After devouring the entire chicken with the help of DP I threw the carcass in a pot and simmered it for 5-6 hours with a few stalks of celery. It was beautiful once I strained out the bones and it even gelled! Score! So I poured it in a tupperware container and put it in the freezer for later use.
But now I'm afraid to use it. After we had eaten the chicken, I got a bit of a headache and sort of tired, unpleasant feeling. I am wondering if this is because of the lower quality/toxin content of the conventional chicken fat (we once splurged on an organic chicken at 5 times the price and I felt great afterwards). So now I am doubtful about the broth I made with the leftovers - lots of skin (fat) and the bones, which can't they contain heavy metals if the chicken's feed was contaminated?
I don't want to give up my beautiful homemade chicken broth but I'm afraid to eat it What would you do? Am I just paranoid? Or are my fears rational? Thanks!

[Pinky Tuscadero]

No. Go with your gut feeling here. I'd dump it.

[Storm Bride]

I'd eat chicken stock made with conventional chicken (in fact, I have) - but not if I reacted to the chicken itself in the way you describe.

[Magelet]

I'm with stormbride. I'd eat stock made with conventional chicken (I can't afford pastured chickens really, though I'm trying to squeeze them into the budget). To me, organic meat isn't really much better (its gmo free at least, but not much else), the only real difference comes with pastured. but, I'll still eat conventional meat thats good quality. I would rather not, but money is what it is.

on the other hand, if you reacted to the chicken, you will react to the stock. it seems very unlikely you would react to one and not the other.

[hummingmom]

You said you bought a "whole roast chicken." Was it seasoned, as grocery store rotisserie chickens typically are? If so, you were very likely reacting to one of the added ingredients, not something in the chicken itself. I used to work in a supermarket, and that seasoning mix had a lot of icky stuff in it: colors, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sodium phosphate (which makes the meat retain more water, but will also make you retain more water ), etc.

Anyway, I agree with others that it's not a good idea to eat the stock, if the chicken -- or something on it -- made you feel sick.

[snoopy5386]

did your DH also feel sick? A headache and tiredness could be caused by just about anything out there. I would eat it.

[lil_earthmomma]

I squeeze every last drop out of my budget, and nothing other than conventional meat is in it! I make stock every time we eat a chicken, whether it be a rotissiere chicken (I hardly ever buy these, but last week I had a potluck and one of the dips required a bunch of cooked chicken and I totally did not have time to cook a chicken and then cook all of the other food!) or just chickens from the supermarket.

I would try the stock and see how you feel. Homemade stock has got to be better for you than stock in a can/carton.

[Jojo F.]

For us, no. I don't buy meat if I can't get it organic. In fact, I make it a point to let DS know when it is OK to chew on the bones and when it is not but, that is based on *MY* comfort level.

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by hummingmom

You said you bought a "whole roast chicken." Was it seasoned, as grocery store rotisserie chickens typically are? If so, you were very likely reacting to one of the added ingredients, not something in the chicken itself. I used to work in a supermarket, and that seasoning mix had a lot of icky stuff in it: colors, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sodium phosphate (which makes the meat retain more water, but will also make you retain more water ), etc.

Anyway, I agree with others that it's not a good idea to eat the stock, if the chicken -- or something on it -- made you feel sick.

Ooooh, that would make sense. It was seasoned. I didn't even think of that.
My DP didn't get the same reaction, but maybe he's just less sensitive to additives.
I guess I will probably not use the stock. I am almost positive the reaction was from the chicken because we didn't eat anything else and it was immediately after. Sigh, oh well. Thanks everyone for your input!

[Vancouver Mommy]

I'm sure it's just fine. I often go down the road of "if it's not organic it's crap", but I remind myself that my kids won't grow a second head if they eat a conventional egg once in a while, for instance.

[*Aimee*]

I bet it was the seasoning like the pp mentioned.

I do eat conventional stock though. I can only get organic chickens here for between 15-20 dollars a bird depending on the size. We can't afford that. I do eat grassfed beef because it's not that much more. I just can't afford to spend that much more on chicken.

[ursusarctos]

Yeah I am actually convinced now that it was the seasoning, not the chicken itself. We only bought an organic pastured chicken once because it was exorbitantly priced and haven't since because our budget has not allowed it. If it was a plain conventional chicken that I had seasoned myself then I probably wouldn't worry, but the fact that it was seasoned at the deli counter makes me very suspicious about additives, flavor enhancers, etc. and would explain why I felt so crappy after eating it (especially since I like the skin and fatty bits, where the seasoning accumulates). Since there was so much skin left over when I boiled the carcass I suspect the broth contains a lot of seasoning so I probably won't use it. Fortunately I don't use chicken broth unless I have it (basically I have to create a reason to use it) so it's not a huge loss, but just kind of annoying because it seemed so successful!