Most meats that are pulverized into a pulp form (e.g., chicken fingers, chicken nuggets) are made using a mechanical deboning processes. This mechanical deboning process increases the quantity of fluoride-laden bone particles in the meat. As a result, research has found that mechanically deboned meat contains higher levels of fluoride.
Of all the meats that are mechanically deboned, chicken meat has consistently been found to have the highest levels. Pureed chicken meals for infants, for example, have been found to contain an average of 2.8 to 5.6 ppm fluoride, while chicken sticks have been found to contain an average of 3.6 ppm. (Fein 2001). Regular consumption of mechanically deboned chicken can thus be a significant source of fluoride exposure for some children. As noted by scientists at Oregon State University:
“A single serving (71 g) of infant food made with [mechanically separated] chicken would provide as much as 0.6 mg of fluoride, which is twice the [Adequate Intake] and 87% of the [Upper Limit of Safety] for fluoride for a 6-month-old infant. For a one-year-old toddler, a single serving (71 g) of chicken sticks would provide 0.4 mg of fluoride, which would nearly match the [Adequate Intake] and provide about half of the [Upper Limit of Safety] for fluoride. One serving (71 g) of luncheon meat containing mechanically separated chicken could provide as much as 0.45 mg of fluoride for a child. A desirable level of fluoride intake could therefore be exceeded on a recurring basis when combined with other sources of fluoride intake such as fluoridated water, foods made with fluoridated water, and swallowing of fluoridated toothpaste.”
SOURCE: Fein NJ, Cerklewski FL. (2001). Fluoride content of foods made with mechanically separated chicken. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 49(9):4284-6.
The following three tables present data on the fluoride levels in mechanically deboned chicken as reported in the scientific literature:
Heilman (1997) Fluoride in Ready-to-Eat Infant Foods Containing Chicken
| Number of samples | Average Fluoride Content | Range of Fluoride Content |
| 6 | 4.40 ppm | 1.05 – 8.38 ppm |
| SOURCE: Heilman JR, et al. (1997). Fluoride concentrations of infant foods. Journal of the American Dental Association 128(7):857-63. | ||
Fein (2001): Fluoride in foods made w/ mechanically separated chicken
| Fluoride Content in Various Foods Made w/ Mechanically Separated Chicken (Fein 2001) |
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| Food | Average Fluoride Content | Range of Fluoride Content |
| Pureed Chicken | ||
| Brand A | 5.58 ppm | 3.22 – 8.63 ppm |
| Brand B | 2.82 ppm | 1.89 – 4.63 ppm |
| Pureed Chicken Plus Pear | 1.61 ppm | 0.08 – 2.01 ppm |
| Chicken Sticks | 3.61 ppm | 1.61 – 6.00 ppm |
| Vienna Sausage | ||
| Brand A | 2.18 ppm | 1.35 – 3.26 ppm |
| Brand B | 1.45 ppm | 1.20 – 1.89 ppm |
| Luncheon Meat | ||
| Brand A | 2.35 ppm | 1.53 – 3.65 ppm |
| Brand B | 1.60 ppm | 1.01 – 2.64 ppm |
| SOURCE: Fein NJ, Cerklewski FL. (2001). Fluoride content of foods made with mechanically separated chicken. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 49(9):4284-6. | ||
Fein (2001): fluoride in mechanically separated chicken vs. mechanically separated turkey
| Food | Chicken | Turkey |
| Pureed type | 5.58 ppm F | 0.78 ppm F |
| Meat Sticks | 3.61 ppm F | 1.37 ppm F |
| Luncheon Meat | 2.35 ppm F | 1.07 ppm F |
| SOURCE: Fein NJ, Cerklewski FL. (2001). Fluoride content of foods made with mechanically separated chicken. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 49(9):4284-6. | ||