When you shop at Whole Foods, you know there's a good chance that whatever you're buying
is free-range, wild-caught, grass-fed, or non-GMO.
But no one ever said it was cheap to do the right thing.
Take, for example, a one-pound rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, which can cost up
to $9.99.
Compare that to Costco's iconic loss leader, the $4.99 three-pound rotisserie chicken.
In case you don't have a calculator handy, a pound of poultry from Whole Foods is 200-percent
more expensive than one from Costco.
Aside from a significant discrepancy in price per pound, though, is there much else that's
different about birds from these stores?
Sure there is.
Namely, taste!
A Fox News rating of six different grocery stores' rotisserie chickens had Whole Foods
and Fresh Market tied for dead last, while Costco was ranked the best of the best.
"The best, Jerry, the best."
This bird's got a cult following — there's even a Costco Rotisserie Chicken Fanpage on
Facebook that has more than 17,000 followers.
There's even a meme about rotisserie chicken as the perfect Halloween trick-or-treating
surprise.
Discussions on the Facebook page often turn to tongue-in-cheek theories for how on Earth
mass-produced meat could taste so very, very good.
It goes without saying that the rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods also has some diehard
fans.
One Popsugar reviewer said she always grabs a bird whenever she's at the organic grocer,
despite being on a young person's budget.
The reviewer also noted that this weeknight staple is typically available in not one but
three flavors: original, BBQ, and, her pick, an herb and lemon option that smells of thyme.
In fact, rotisserie chicken is a hot commodity at all Whole Foods locations.
Shoppers will often deplete all supplies of this ready-to-serve favorite during the dinner
rush.
Julia Obici, global executive coordinator of culinary and hospitality for Whole Foods,
told Eater that the rotisserie chicken is one of the top 20 selling items at Whole Foods.
It's important to note that Whole Foods' chickens are both organic and hormone-free.
Could this halo effect make the meat actually taste a little better?
Feedback from reviewers certainly suggests this is possible.
Costco rotisserie did beat out Whole Foods, as well as other brands, in an Eat This, Not
That! taste-test.
One reviewer called Costco's version,
"HEAVENLY…
Always perfectly moist, perfectly spiced."
But tasters also admitted eating Whole Foods' version left a better taste in their mouths,
morally speaking.
As another reviewer revealed,
"I don't feel guilty eating their rotisserie chicken (organic, free range, no hormones)."
But is all of this guilt justified?
Exactly how much better of a life is a Whole Foods chicken leading, compared to its feathered
friends at Costco's farm?
If you have to be a chicken, be a Whole Foods chicken.
Pitman Farms, one of the upscale grocer's poultry suppliers, allows their birds to wander
about freely both in and outdoors, with food and water available for them in multiple locations.
The Environmental Working Group, or EWP, gave Whole Foods organic rotisserie chicken its
highest ratings for sustainability, nutrition, and no misuse of antibiotics.
EWP did not rate Costco rotisserie chicken as it only looks at foods labeled organic
— to which Costco makes no such claims.
How bad are things for Costco rotisserie birds, of which 91 million were sold in 2018 alone,
per CNN?
On its website, Costco states,
"Animal welfare is a critical component that has been integrated into all aspects of the
chicken supply chain, from the hatchery to the grower barns to the processing facility."
While Costco chickens aren't free-range like Whole Foods chickens, the warehouse claims
it offers them space and ventilation.
So, at least they can breathe.
The chickens live in a state-of-the-art hen house in Fremont, Nebraska, which just opened
in 2019 and gets audited twice a year to ensure the birds are treated humanely.
This and Costco's minimal added ingredients have earned Dr. Oz's stamp of approval.
On a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show, the health guru called this warehouse dinner go-to
one of the, quote, "healthiest processed foods out there."
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