ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Food expert issues warning to those who buy Costco's rotisserie chicken: 'They often contain...'

The popular TikTok creator claimed the food product was one of the worst the store offers.
PUBLISHED MAY 7, 2025
Screenshots from the creator's video showing the chicken (Cover image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)
Screenshots from the creator's video showing the chicken (Cover image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)

It hasn't been long since frozen meat at Costco had to be pulled down due to concerns about Listeria contamination, and now the retailer, which has been facing social media scrutiny over food quality, is under fire over its Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken. The warehouse retailer sells millions of those every day, but despite its popularity, one expert claims it is not good for consumers. Popular TikTok creator who goes by Non-Toxic Dad (@nontoxicdad), and regularly debunks nutrition myths, recently shared a video revealing an issue with popular food products from Costco.

Screenshots showing the creator talking about the food product
Screenshots showing the creator talking about the food product (Image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)

In his video, which now has over 7.2 million views, the expert claims that Costco is guilty of selling dirty chicken to customers. Warning his viewers against buying the product, the creator explained that there were several things wrong with it. The first issue brought up by Non-Toxic Dad was the quality of the chicken used by the brand. "These chickens are only 6 weeks old, specially bred and raised in horrible conditions, and fed likely mostly GMO corn and soy to fatten them fast," he claimed. He further explained that these factory farms produce large chickens quickly, but their nutrition profile is much worse than free-range chickens that are regularly exposed to the sun and soil.

Screenshots showing the creator talking about the chicken (Image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)
Screenshots showing the creator talking about the chicken (Image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)

He further claimed that the birds raised for Costco are broiler chickens that have been genetically modified through breeding. "About 100 years ago in 1925, chickens lived for 112 days before being slaughtered at 2.5 pounds. Modern chickens, such as those raised by Costco, are slaughtered at only 47 days but at 5 pounds," he wrote in the caption. The second issue cited by the creator was the cleaning process. He claimed that chickens are sent to mass slaughterhouses where they are dipped in chemicals such as chlorine, which leaves harmful residue on the meat.

The next issue was with the ingredients, which included chemicals like sodium phosphate. According to the creator, these are linked to liver and kidney damage. "There is also Carrageenan which degrades into an extremely inflammatory agent and is possibly carcinogenic," he said.

Screenshots showing the chicken (Image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)
Screenshots showing the chicken (Image source: TikTok/@nontoxicdad)

According to FarmForward, Costco rotisserie chicken lists 11 ingredients, which include sodium phosphates. The report claimed that many of the ingredients are injected directly into the flesh to make it juicier and add flavor. The last issue that the creator talked about was plastic packaging. He claimed that the hot chicken is directly put in a plastic bag that is probably made of polyethylene terephthalate (AKA phthalates), which can seep into the food and cause hormone disruptions. "With an estimated 117 million rotisserie chickens eaten yearly in the U.S., it’s time to find a less toxic convenient food," the creator urged at the end of his video.


@nontoxicdad Rotisserie chicken 🐓 may look enticing, but don't be fooled...it's tempting but TOXIC! Yes, Costco (and many other stores) are guilty of selling you dirty birds! 🍗 If you like rotisserie chicken from Costco after a long day to avoid cooking a meal, here are some reasons why you may want to buy your own chicken or find a less toxic pre-cooked meal: 👇 ❌ Poor quality of life: These chickens are only 6 weeks old, specially bred and raised in horrible conditions and fed likely mostly GMO corn and soy to fatten them fast. This helps produce bigger chickens for meat, but the nutrition profile will be much worse than free-range chickens or outdoor chickens with their natural diet and regularly exposed to sun and soil. ❌ Unappetizing "cleaning" processes: After slaughter, chickens are dipped in a chlorine solution with other toxins that are supposed to “clean” them, leaving harmful residues on the meat and making them just as "dirty" as they were before the synthetic substance swim! ☠️ 🐔 ❌ Toxic Seasoning: The herbs and spices aren’t natural or clean—they often contain compounds like sodium phosphate (linked to liver/kidney damage) and carrageenan (which can degrade into a c@rcinogenic, inflammatory agent). ❌ Plastic Packaging: The hot chicken is stored in a plastic bag, likely made of a polyethylene terephthalate (AKA phthalates) mix, which can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into your food. Even once it gets to room temperature, it's still leaching phthalates and microplastics into your food that you will ingest. 🤢 🍗 With an estimated 117 million rotisserie chickens eaten yearly in the U.S., it’s time to find a less toxic convenient food - and Costco does have some less toxic options that require just as little prep as rotisserie chicken. So before you find a better option at Costco for yourself, share this with a Costco Chicken Carnivore you know to spread the word that Costco rotisserie chicken is pestilent poultry! #Chicken #RotisserieChicken #Costco #FoodFacts #NonToxicLiving ♬ original sound - NonToxicDad

 

The creator is not the only one to raise the issue, as several creators in the past have raised similar concerns. A lot of viewers agreed with the information shared by the creator. "I worked at the chicken plant that distributed to Costco...I saw all the bad stuff, most info in this video is true, but I still eat it!" @nomans.lan wrote.

But despite the alarming content on the internet, some consumers of the product seem to be too much in love with it, as many refused to change their ways. "Bro, it’s cheap… don’t care if it is just out of the egg served in a garbage can," @americandream5440 admitted. "This is the best chicken on the market filled with high protein.. I eat 2 of these per week and I will NEVER believe anything anyone says about this chicken," @supegog added.

For more updates and similar videos, follow NonToxic Dad (@nontoxicdad) on TikTok

RELATED TOPICS COSTCO
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
According to the expert, personal letters and a signature from Tolkien himself added to the value of the book.
8 hours ago
Chistina and Katie Currie won over $88,000 in cash and two exotic vacations with their stunning performance.
9 hours ago
After everyone backed out, the billionaire Shark stepped up to help the founder of Diaper Dust.
1 day ago
Sun kept repeating the incorrect phrase but couldn't identify the error in time.
1 day ago
After almost closing a deal with Mr Wonderful, the founder of 'Simply Good Jars' pivoted hard.
1 day ago
The host thought it was the "worst possible answer" to give even as the team felt it was good enough.
2 days ago
Adding to the controversy, the owner of Dr. Mudd's lapdesk asked Harrison for $100,000.
2 days ago
With just milliseconds to spare, Sarah LaPilusa pulled off an incredible Bonus Round win.
2 days ago
Ozark Trail 64 oz Water Bottles were recalled after the lids of faulty bottles forcefully ejected.
3 days ago
The player laughed and giggled her way through the puzzles to win prizes worth over $57,000.
3 days ago
Scott Riccardi placed an unbelievable wager during Final Jeopardy! to win a massive amount in a day!
3 days ago
The guest got a 200% return on investment on her sculpture that she bought from Macy's.
3 days ago
Jennings had a record-setting winning streak as a contestant before he became the host.
4 days ago
The player, Ron Wheeler, tragically got no clues after his letter picks for the final puzzle.
4 days ago
The former kids champion, Skyler Hornback knew what was coming.
4 days ago
The fans took issue with the clue being too tough and unnecessary for the contestants.
5 days ago
Cuban wanted to strike a deal with the founder of Coconut Girl and gave her an ultimatum.
5 days ago
Although the word did make a lot of difference, some fans felt that the decision was ridiculous.
5 days ago
The guest, who found the item online, didn't think it was the real deal until he heard its value.
6 days ago
The player Samantha secured the first big win of Ryan Seacrest's run on the show.
6 days ago