A viral photo of chicken breast behaving like strands of spaghetti shocked a mother preparing dinner. Alesia Cooper from Irving, Texas, shared the unsettling image, questioning whether it was “fake meat” after cleaning the chicken, purchased from Aldi, which disintegrated unexpectedly.

Online, theories ranged from lab-grown meat to hormone-induced abnormalities in fast-growing chickens, like “woody breast” and “spaghetti meat.”

According to experts cited by The Wall Street Journal, these conditions arise from breeding practices aimed at maximizing chicken breast size and profitability, despite potential welfare concerns for the birds. Dr. Massimiliano Petracci noted that such changes in chicken meat texture are associated with rapid growth due to consumer demand for white meat. However, critiques highlight the ethical implications of factory farming, pushing some online users towards vegetarian or vegan diets.

This incident underscores broader concerns about industrial poultry practices and consumer choices in the face of animal welfare issues.