Demystifying Store-Bought Chicken Broth: What’s Really Inside Those Boxes and Cans?

As a home cook and food blogger, I’m quite particular about my ingredients I like to know exactly what goes into the food I’m making, which is why I prefer to prepare meals from scratch rather than buy premade products

However, there are times when I need to use store-bought chicken broth as a base or ingredient in a recipe. I’ve noticed that the taste and texture of commercial broths often differ significantly from the homemade kind. This led me to wonder — what’s actually in that box or can of chicken broth I grab off the grocery shelf?

I embarked on a mission to uncover the truth about commercial chicken broth. What I discovered was an intricate, mass-produced product that bears little resemblance to the simple homemade broth bubbling away on your stovetop. Read on to learn all about the mysterious world of store-bought chicken broth.

The Curious Case of the Copycat Ingredients List

My investigation began in the grocery aisle where I compared ingredient lists on various brands of chicken broth. Interestingly many of the top brands, including Swanson and Kitchen Basics, listed “chicken broth” or “chicken stock” as the first ingredient.

This struck me as odd and almost circular — if chicken broth is the main component of chicken broth, what exactly am I buying here? It would be like if ketchup just listed “ketchup” as its first ingredient

Clearly, the ingredients list wasn’t going to provide the transparency I desired. There had to be more to the story than what those labels suggested.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Uncovering How Commercial Broth is Made

Through extensive research and reaching out to manufacturers, I slowly learned how store-bought chicken broth goes from raw materials to finished product.

It starts with large poultry corporations supplying companies called “rendered product manufacturers” with leftover chicken parts like bones, skin, and fat. These rendering facilities process the chicken parts into concentrated, shelf-stable chicken broth.

Big food corporations then purchase this highly condensed chicken broth and combine it with water, salt, vegetables, and other seasonings to create a finished broth product. The original rendered concentrate allows them to produce broth cheaply and on a massive scale.

This commercial manufacturing process results in a broth vastly different from the homemade version. According to food science experts, commercial broth contains almost no gelatin, which provides the thick, rich body characteristic of homemade broths. It also lacks the deep, layered flavors that come from simmering meaty bones for hours.

Down the Hatch: Why Broth Tastes So Different

To dig into the reasons behind the taste discrepancy, I looked into how rendered chicken broth concentrates are produced.

The raw chicken parts are cooked down rapidly—just 3-12 hours versus 8+ hours for homemade broth. This shorter cook time fails to extract as much flavor and gelatin from the bones. High heat also creates more bitterness and off-flavors.

The broth then goes through high pressure sterilization and concentration processes that destroy delicate flavors and aromas. Unlike homemade broth’s fresh, from-the-pot taste, commercial broth tastes flat and dull by the time it reaches store shelves.

Manufacturers also add tons of salt, yeast extracts, and natural flavorings to compensate for the lackluster concentrated broth. This overrides the subtle roasted chicken notes and makes store-bought broth one-dimensionally salty.

Health Halo or Marketing Ploy? The Truth About Bone Broth

A few years back, bone broth surged in popularity as a health food. However, according to nutritional experts, commercial bone broth provides minimal benefits above regular broth.

Bone broth manufacturers exploit health buzzwords, but their products go through the same rendering, concentration, and dilution processes. The end result is a thin, watery broth lacking the nutrients released from long-simmered bones.

So despite the appealing free-range chicken imagery on the box, store-bought bone broth is essentially factory-produced broth with trendy packaging. The health claims are more about savvy marketing than anything special in the bottle.

Transparency Triumphs: What to Look for in a Quality Broth

After lifting the veil on commercial broth production, I suggest opting for transparent brands whenever possible. Look for broths that list water and actual chicken parts, rather than vague ingredients like “chicken broth.”

Brands like Bonafide Provisions use whole chickens and simmer bones for a full 24 hours. This results in a broth far more reminiscent of homemade.

For ultimate quality and control, however, making your own broth can’t be beat. Use leftover bones and vegetable scraps to create a nutritious, gelatin-rich broth for a fraction of the cost of commercial alternatives.

While less convenient, taking the time to prepare your own broth pays dividends in terms of flavor and health benefits. Knowing exactly what’s in it provides peace of mind as well.

The world of commercial chicken broth proved far more complex than expected. But by digging deeper, I gained insight into how big manufacturers put profits ahead of quality and transparency. Armed with this knowledge, we as consumers can make informed choices and advocate for higher standards across the food industry.