There’s no doubting that Costco’s rotisserie chicken is one of the retailer’s most iconic items of all time, having been praised for its flexibility, taste, and low price of $4.99.
However, for some Costco customers, devouring these famed roasted birds comes with a significant disadvantage.
This week, a Costco customer posted on Reddit that they’ve had bad side effects including diarrhea and gas every time they ate the store’s rotisserie chicken.
As it turns out, that Costco customer isn’t the only one who has stomach problems after eating the famous chicken.
“I have this problem with the rotisserie chickens too, OP, so you’re not alone,” a Redditor wrote.
“OMG, same! “My wife and I thought we were crazy; they destroyed both of us,” another wrote.
The tweet ignited a heated debate over why the popular Costco item would be having such an unpleasant effect on digestion.
Some Redditors suggested that the fat or seasonings in the chickens were to blame. Others speculated if carrageenan, one of the components in Costco’s rotisserie chickens, was to blame. And this notion may not be altogether incorrect.
Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived food ingredient that is occasionally used as a stabilizing and emulsifying agent, according to Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., RDN, nutrition expert and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim and The Portion Teller Plan.
Young noted that patients who ingested carrageenan experienced adverse effects such as bloating and cramping and “found relief when they discontinued carrageenan-containing products.”
“However, no studies on carrageenan’s effect on digestion have been conducted on humans,” he noted.
While it is impossible to say for definite that the carrageenan in Costco’s chicken is to blame, Young urged customers who are suffering stomach problems to reduce their consumption or eliminate fowl entirely from their diet.
She also mentioned that Costco’s chicken is rich in salt, which “may be problematic” for those who eat it.
“If it upsets you, avoid it or consume tiny amounts. Many people overeat chicken, believing they can eat as much as they want. “This is problematic,” she stated.
This isn’t the first time Costco’s rotisserie chickens have earned unfavorable notice this year. Back in March, the famous birds came under heavy investigation after buyers reported an unpleasant “chemical” taste in the chicken.
