100% Air Chilled

During harvest, chicken must be cooled to a food-safe temperature. Most chicken in supermarkets is cooled in a shared chlorine water bath. That water ends up in the chicken you purchase and consume. Bell & Evans chicken is 100% Air Chilled with no water bath. Learn what that means and why it matters.

Why 100% Air Chilled Matters

Understanding the Difference

Bell & Evans 100% Air Chilled Processing

Chilled with 100% Cold Air
Never Submerged in Shared Water Baths
No Retained Water
Helps Preserve the Chicken’s Natural Flavor and Texture
No Added Weight from Absorbed Water
No Hybrid Air-and-Water Chilling

Conventional Water Chilled Processing

Chilled in Communal Tanks of Cold Water
Submerged in Shared Water Baths
Can Retainl up to 12% of Body Weight in Water
Retained Water Can Dilute Chicken’s Natural Flavor
Absorbed Water Can Contribute to Additional Product Weight
May Combine with Air Chilling as Hybrid Air-and-Water Chilling Process
May Use Antimicrobial Treatments, Such as Chlorine

Some other processors advertise “Air Chilled” but still incorporate chlorinated water chilling to speed up the cooling process.

Delivering a

Superior Eating Experience

Our slow, 100% Air Chilled processing preserves the natural juices of the bird, resulting in a richer flavor.

100% Air Chilled Means:

No Retained Water
No Chlorinated Water
No Diluted Flavor
Reduced Human Handling
Reduced Environmental Impact

A Note from the Sechlers

The bottom line is that most US producers use cold water chlorine baths for four reasons: it’s faster, it’s cheaper, it’s effective in killing microorganisms, and it increases the weight of the chicken.

Scott Sechler, Jr. President / Owner

Behind the Scenes

How Air Chilling Works

Each Bird Enters the Air Chilled Chamber

Each chicken begins the cooling process moving through miles of track— not submerged in a shared water bath.

100% Air Chilled Process

Our process uses cold air, circulated over the surface of the chickens, to retain excellent flavor, not water.

Uncompromising Quality Takes Time

The total process takes nearly 3 hours for the birds to travel on almost 2 miles of track.

No Retained Water

No Diaper Packaging

Are you paying for chlorinated water in your chicken?

Bell & Evans is 100% Air Chilled. That means no retained water. With conventional chilling systems, chickens absorb up to 12% of their body weight in retained chlorinated water, which you pay for. This water “weeps” out of the meat and is trapped in the “diaper” you find in other fresh chicken packaging.

BPA-Free PETE

Freezer Safe

100% Recyclable Tray

Vacuum Sealed for Freshness

Stackable and Leak Free

No Absorbent Diapers or Pads

Easy-Open Tab

Other Brands

Non-Recyclable Foam

Not Freezer Safe

Clear Film Overwrap

Easy to Puncture and Break When Stacked

Diaper or Pad to Soak Up Leaking Water

Must Tear or Unwrap to Open

100% Air Chilled In Their Words

What Consumers are Saying

Thank you for not washing our food in bleach water! This is the only chicken brand we buy in this house and my Mom’s house. I like to consider myself a super fan. 😍

@rebeccacharles00

Air chilled! Bell & Evans chicken is hung to air chill instead of being soaked in a chlorine-water solution. You get pure, delicious chicken—not a bird that’s been plumped with water. That was my enlightenment moment! 🙂 Cue the chorus of angels!

Lisa A.

Honestly as someone who has seen the full process first hand, I can say it makes you feel good about what you’re eating. They actually care #notjustprofithere

@wrxcharlie88

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