Are there toxins at the tips of chicken wings and should we not eat them?

That is not the case.

The tips of chicken wings, like other parts of chicken, are made of muscle tissue. As long as the source is reliable and handled properly, they can be eaten safely. The saying that "a large amount of toxins accumulate on the tips of chicken wings" is mainly because some people believe that there are more lymphatic tissues on the tips of chicken wings, and lymphatic tissues are the main part of producing toxins, so they believe that "a large amount of toxins accumulate on the tips of chicken wings." But in fact, there are not many lymphatic tissues on the tips of chicken wings. In addition, some people believe that "chicken farms treat chickens by injecting antibiotics into the tips of chicken wings," so there are toxins on the tips of chicken wings. In fact, this statement is also untenable. On the one hand, there are strict requirements for the use of antibiotics in my country, and the conventional injection site is not the tips of chicken wings, but the places where the skin of the chicken is loose, such as the roots of chicken wings; on the other hand, the drugs will also be metabolized in the body and will not accumulate on the tips of chicken wings. In short, the tips of chicken wings do not have toxins and can be eaten normally. Considering the high fat content of chicken wing tips, it is recommended to use healthy cooking methods, such as steaming, stewing, etc., and avoid unhealthy cooking methods such as frying.

Author | Master of Doubao Food Processing and Safety

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center