What are the white lines in raw chicken?

Raw chicken has been affected by changes in poultry farming practices. Photo / File

Changing practices in poultry farming means that white meat isn't as good for you as it used to be.

Compassion in World Farming, a US-based charity aiming to "end factory farming" recently released a video on YouTube hoping to educate the public on the "white stripes" found in raw chicken.

According to the video, the strands of fat appear as a result of the stressful conditions the birds are kept in.

Under pressure to produce the meat on a larger scale, the farmers do anything to make the animals grow larger - and more quickly - resulting in fattier chickens.

A 2016 study by the University of Arkansas and Texas A&M claims that "the severity of white striping has increased in recent years."

Scientists found white striping in 96 per cent of the 285 birds tested.

The increase in white stripes were also found to be "negatively impact[ing] meat quality", according to researchers, as it isn't as tender and doesn't absorb marinades as well as leaner chicken.

However, chicken is still filling and full of protein, so don't throw your chicken out just yet.

Jaclyn London, Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute in New York, told The Sun: "Chicken - so long as it's not breaded and deep-fried - is a great source of lean protein (that also happens to be rich in B-vitamins, iron and vitamin B12)."

A spokesman for the National Chicken Council told BuzzFeed that while white striping impacts the quality of the meat, it only affects "a small percentage" and doesn't "create any health or food safety concerns for people or the welfare of the chicken itself."