WASHINGTON – Deflate-gate won't take the air out of consumers' enthusiasm for chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, the National Chicken Council reported.
NCC estimates that consumers will eat 1.25 billion chicken wings as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks take to the gridiron for Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
"Although the total amount of pounds of chicken produced last year rose by about 1.8 percent, the total number of chickens processed was virtually the same in 2014 as is was in 2013," said Tom Super, vice president of communications. "A chicken only has two wings; therefore, the supply of wings is limited by the total number of chickens produced."
Wing prices traditionally increase in the fourth quarter of the year as foodservice operators and retailers stock up for the Super Bowl, according to NCC. Peak prices usually occur in January during the run-up to championship game.
