What does “seasoned” or “seasoning” mean when it comes to chicken? How can I tell?

You want to be sure you’re getting the product that’s right for you and your family. Sometimes, red meat and chicken products are labelled with the word ‘seasoned’ somewhere on the packaging – or you’ll hear an advertisement where a restaurant features a “100% seasoned chicken breast”.  If you’re wondering what this means, we have the explanation for you.

You can “season” a chicken product by adding spice, flavoring or rub.  But what about a product that is labeled “seasoned” and does not have a spice or a rub on it. 

When it comes to meat (chicken or otherwise), the word ‘seasoned’ means the meat has been processed using a mixture of salt, water and/or sodium phosphate and sometimes, flavoring. This is done to allow the product to retain some of its moisture when it’s being cooked. The sodium phosphate binds the water molecules to the protein in the meat, allowing it to keep some of the moisture within it. 

There are different perspectives on seasoning – some people prefer seasoned chicken meat, while others prefer to have a more basic product that they can use in their recipes.

Seasoning can raise the sodium count within the product and may be a concern if you’re worried about sodium intake. A ‘seasoned’ product will have to be labelled as such. 

If you’re concerned about sodium intake, read your labels and bear in mind that the lower the protein percentage, the higher the ‘seasoning’ solution (and the higher the sodium count).