Costco Customers Are Reporting Yellow Chicken—Is It Safe to Eat?

We’re here to find out.

There has been some recent controversy regarding Costco's chicken. From its rotisserie chicken being green to reports of its poultry packaging making people sick, we get why some shoppers might be on edge when picking up poultry from Costco.

Now, customers say some chicken breasts look a little “sad” with a much more yellow tint than they are used to seeing. Here’s everything we know about the latest claim and what it means for your next shopping trip at the wholesale retailer.

Is Yellow Chicken Safe to Eat?

Someone recently posted a photo on Reddit of the chicken breast selection at their local Costco. The Redditor had noticed that in comparison to the organic chicken, the packs of "regular chicken seemed a bit.. off.” It wasn't only one pack that was impacted, but all the regular chicken packs looked yellower with "a lot of liquid."

If you’re wondering whether the chicken may have expired, that was not the case. While it is slightly alarming to see yellow chicken—especially when it's next to plump pink ones—many commenters chimed in, reassuring there is likely nothing wrong with Costco's selection.

“I’ve bought chicken right from a farm that’s been yellow,” said one commenter. “All chicken fat and skin used to be extremely yellow and still is when you get it from local farms with varied breeds that eat a variety of foods,” said another.

An alleged former meat cutter who worked at a “couple of high-end grocery stores for years” also agreed, saying that the yellow color is “pretty normal for chicken.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), "raw poultry can vary from a bluish-white to yellow." The varying colors we find in poultry are a result of many different factors, such as breed, age, amount of exercise, and/or diet. The USDA states that “younger poultry has less fat under the skin, which can cause the bluish cast, and the yellow skin could be a result of marigolds in the feed.”

So, there you have it. If you spot yellow-tinted chicken at your local grocery store, whether that's Costco or somewhere else, you can rest assured that the chicken is most likely perfectly fine.