In France, the way people consume chicken has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. In the year 2000, nearly half of all chicken eaten was in the form of whole birds. By 2025, this number had dropped to just 15%, according to recent reports. Instead, processed and elaborated chicken products—such as breaded, marinated, stuffed, smoked, shredded, or flavored items—are now more common in supermarkets. These processed chicken products now make up over 34% of total chicken consumption, and the trend is continuing to grow. A think tank called Agridées has called this shift a "frantic multiplication of marketing offerings," highlighting how companies are increasingly targeting consumers with a wide variety of chicken-based products. One example of this trend is the brand Pep’s by Maître CoQ, which produces breaded chicken meatballs. This brand specifically targets consumers between the ages of 20 and 34, using social media influencers to promote its products. These meatballs contain several ingredients that are considered markers of ultra-processed foods, including transformed starches, flavor enhancers, emulsifying salts for cheese, colorants, multiple types of sugars, added flavors, and a controversial gelling agent known as carrageenan. The marketing approach for such products is often compared to that of fast fashion companies like Shein or Temu, where product lines are frequently updated and adapted to what is trending on social media. Researchers from Inrae and Anses have pointed out that chicken meat that is severely damaged and cannot be sold as fresh is often used in processed chicken products. This meat is typically breaded and seasoned to cover up its imperfections. A 2025 study published in Avian Pathology discusses techniques such as mechanical tenderization of tough meat pieces and a process called "tumbling," which involves massaging the meat with a marinade containing phosphate salts to improve its juiciness and tenderness. A 2019 review provided guidelines for using the most damaged chicken pieces in products like nuggets and sausages, recommending that the meat be finely chopped to make the imperfections less noticeable. In the United States, Perdue Farms conducted taste tests to determine how much damaged chicken meat—such as wood breast meat—could be included in its nuggets without consumers noticing. However, in France, no manufacturers are required to disclose such practices, and there is no legal requirement to mention these details on product labels. This lack of transparency has raised concerns among some researchers and consumer advocates, who argue that consumers should be more informed about the ingredients and processes involved in the chicken products they purchase.