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CHICKEN nuggets are only half meat, according to researchers who conducted an "autopsy" on the fast food staple.
The US researchers studied nuggets from two fast food chains, which they decided not to name.
The first nugget they tested was made of 50 per cent muscle tissue - the real meat from the breast or thigh of the chicken - but the rest was made up of fat, blood vessels and nerves.
The second chicken nugget only had 40 per cent muscle tissue and the rest was made up of fat, cartilage and bone, Reuters reports.
Lead researcher Richard D deShazo, from the University of Mississippi Medical Centre, said white chicken meat was one of the best sources of lean protein available, but nuggets were a bad choice.
"What has happened is that some companies have chosen to use an artificial mixture of chicken parts rather than low-fat chicken white meat, batter it up and fry it and still call it chicken," Dr deShazo said.
"It is really a chicken byproduct high in calories, salt, sugar and fat that is a very unhealthy choice. Even worse, it tastes great and kids love it and it is marketed to them."
Ashley Peterson, vice president the National Chicken Council which represents the US chicken industry, said the study's sample size of two nuggets was too small to fairly represent an entire category of food.
"This study evaluates only two chicken nugget samples out of the billions of chicken nuggets that are made every year," Mr Peterson said.
"Chicken nuggets are an excellent source of protein, especially for kids who might be picky eaters."
