Product Review: Tyson "Premium" Young Chickens

Tyson Foods, Inc. of Springdale, Arkansas, has come out with attractive packaging for their "Premium Young Chickens." They tout NO Hormones, NO artificial ingredients, and their price is very reasonable. I had been paying $8 or $9 for a free-range chicken. I decided to give Tyson's Premium Young Chickens a try. A wholesome chicken for around $5 seemed like a bargain.

I didn't bargain for the poor condition of Tyson's chickens. The first few had more than usual yellow feathers left for me to pluck. I prefer chickens clean and ready to cook, but I dealt with the feathers and didn't think much more about it. Last week, however, I could not overlook the inferior condition of Tyson's "Premium" chicken. One of the legs had been chopped shorter than the other and was very red and mushy. The skin on the back was full of puncture holes, and there was an excess of yellow feathers left on the bird.

I called Tyson's customer relations department to make a report. They said in order for me to receive a refund I'd have to have a proof of purchase. I wonder how many people stock their freezers and file chicken receipts just in case "premium" turns out to be "eat at your own risk?" The person I talked to was very polite, but didn't seem too ruffled about my concerns. She said that next time I should keep all the packaging, and then they could track where it came from.

There won't be a next time. Attractive packaging and promises of wholesomeness mean nothing unless it is backed by a superior product. As soon as I get the image of this chicken out of my head, I will go back to my original free-range chickens at $8 or $9. The Tyson Premium Chicken was no bargain at $4.91. It ended up in the trash.