Facts about Poultry

A Guide to Poultry

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Poultry

Poultry is an excellent source of protein that's usually economical and can be served many different ways. Prepared with the skin removed and without added fat, chicken and turkey can be relatively low in fat. Many consumers want to learn more about the numerous poultry products available, as well as how to safely handle, store, and cook poultry. This booklet gives you a few facts and a few ideas that we hope will be helpful.

Poultry - Fresh and Frozen

Many different kinds of poultry are available either fresh or frozen. At times there may be ice crystals in fresh poultry. This is due to the "fresh-chilled" or "chill-pack" process, which means that the poultry has been quickly chilled and held at a temperature of 28 to 32 degrees. The meat is not frozen; you'll notice that the poultry will "give" if you squeeze it. We use the chill-pack process to retard the growth of bacteria, to insure fresh and wholesome poultry, and to preserve its flavor. The poultry may be cooked fresh or it may be frozen for later use without any loss of quality.

Whole Versus Cut-Up-Compare the Prices

Whole birds cost less than cut-up ones because less labor is needed to prepare them. Consider cutting up poultry yourself. (See "How to Cut Up a Chicken".) Also, the more popular pieces, such as drumsticks and breast, are more expensive than other pieces, like wings and necks, because they have more meat and there is greater demand for them. The less popular pieces - either purchased at the store or left from the poultry you cut up yourself - make good soups, casseroles, or party foods. If you don't see what you want in the case, ring the service bell and request it.

Boneless Versus Bone-In-Which is the Better Buy?

Boneless pieces of poultry cost more per pound than pieces with bones. But remember that boneless pieces yield more edible poultry. However, leftover bones make excellent stocks for soups and casseroles. You can bone pieces yourself. Decide which is a better value for you.

PACKAGING AND LABELING

The poultry our stores sell is packaged and labeled for us by several suppliers and shipped to our stores. Occasionally, the label on a poultry package is changed at the store. This is done when the poultry has been or is to be on sale and the price changes, when a label becomes moist or illegible, or when the poultry needs to be reweighed. Poultry has a lot of natural moisture, and some may be lost, so the poultry will weigh less and the weight on the label will have to be changed.

Inspection Assures Wholesomeness

Before poultry can be graded, it must be inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Therefore, all poultry our stores sell have been inspected. The inspection mark is a circle and will be on the poultry package. Our brand poultry also has the inspection mark on the price label.

Grades Judge Meatiness and Appearance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also grades poultry products for meatiness, appearance, and freedom from defects, which include bruises, broken bones, feathers and skin tears. The top grade is Grade A, which is most of the poultry our stores sell. The grade mark, shaped like a shield, is printed on the price labels that are used by our supplier. However, the labels that are put on in the stores do not have the shield. We also offer inspected poultry, but ungraded, as a less expensive alternative.

Use Open Dating

To further guarantee that poultry is wholesome, we "open date" the products for freshness. The last day that poultry may be sold, the "sell-by" date, is stated on the label. If the poultry must be relabeled, the same date is used on the new label. Regardless of the "sell-by" date, do not store your chicken in the refrigerator more than two days after it is purchased. Unopened, fresh whole turkey may be held up to 7 days but no more than 2 days beyond the pull date. See tips on storage.

POULTRY IS A GOOD NUTRITION BUY

Poultry is an excellent source of high quality protein. Since it is generally a good buy, it can be an alternative protein source for more expensive red meats. Also, those who are concerned about low fat diets will find chicken and turkey without the skin an excellent way of meeting their protein needs with less fat intake. Poultry also contains other important nutrients such as B vitamins.

About Fats & Cholesterol

We receive many questions from consumers regarding fats in the diet. The fats in poultry are both saturated and unsaturated. However, there is less fat in skinless, white meat chicken and turkey than there is in most cuts of beef, lamb, ham or pork. See nutrition information.

GUIDE TO FRESH, FROZEN, AND PROCESSED POULTRY PRODUCTS

Broiler-Fryer Chicken: This is a young, tender bird suitable for almost any kind of cooking except stewing. It may be purchased cut-up or whole, raw or precooked.

Roaster Chicken: This is a slightly older and larger bird intended for roasting whole. It yields more meat per pound than the broiler-fryer.
Stewing Chicken: This is an older, mature bird which is larger, less tender and requires moist cooking such as simmering in water or stock.
Chicken Parts: Halves, quarters (leg quarters or breast quarters, which include the wings and are labeled to say so), breasts (boneless and bone-in), legs, drumsticks, thighs, wings, and cut-up whole chickens are available packaged separately and in various combination packs, raw or precooked. Prices per pound vary for each type of part.
Chicken Giblets: Livers, hearts, and gizzards are available separately. They are an economical protein source, and come fresh or frozen.
Chicken & Turkey Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meat: These products are made from chicken or turkey and are usually lower in fat than those made from beef or pork. They are similarly processed, using sodium nitrites as a preservative.
Rock Cornish Game Hen: This is a young, small chicken of a special breed. It comes in two size ranges - less than a pound and about 11/2 pounds. It is sold fresh and frozen.
Capon: This is a desexed rooster which is tender enough for roasting. It comes frozen.
Whole Turkey: This is a bird which is available in various size ranges suitable for roasting. "Beltsville" turkeys weigh 5 to 9 lbs. and are offered when they are available. Hens weigh up to 16 lbs. and Toms up to 24 lbs. Turkeys are available fresh and frozen all year round. Although fresh turkeys are always plentiful during the holiday season, they can be ordered at any time of the year if not available on the counter.
Turkey Parts: Breasts, wings, drumsticks, and hindquarters are available separately.
Self-Basting or Deep-Basting Turkey: A solution of butter, cooking oil or turkey broth is inserted into the breast under the bird's skin; the label tells what solution is used and what percentage of the weight comes from the solution. Note that butter and coconut oil are high in saturated fat.
Prestuffed Turkey: This turkey is already stuffed. Read the label; it lists the ingredients of the stuffing, and the turkey's minimum weight. This turkey comes frozen. Follow the directions for preparation.
Boneless Rolled Turkey Roast: The turkey meat is boned and rolled. It comes frozen as all white meat, all dark meat or light and dark meat in the same proportions as found on the bird.
Turkey Cutlet: This is meat cut from whole turkey breasts.
Ground Turkey: This meat is a combination of white and dark meat or all dark meat ground with the skins of these parts. Available fresh as turkey breast, 3% fat by weight (25% calories from fat), turkey thigh meat, 7-8% fat by weight (36% of calories from fat) which is acceptable for most low fat, low cholesterol diets. Also, frozen at 9% or 14-15% fat by weight (40-60% calories from fat).
Turkey Ham (cured turkey thigh meat): This is turkey with a ham flavor, available in the deli.
Duck: This bird is much fattier than chicken or turkey and is virtually all "dark meat". It is available frozen all year.
Goose: This is a somewhat fattier bird than duck. It is sold frozen all year.
Convenience Products: You may find other poultry products in the grocery and frozen food section of the stores, such as canned chicken and dumplings or frozen pot pies. Check the labels of these products; they all carry lists of ingredients. Compare the unit prices of these products (found on the shelf price label) with the cost of making them from scratch. You can then determine what is a good buy for you. Convenience foods usually cost more than their homemade counterparts. Some homemade dishes are more expensive because they contain more poultry or other ingredients than the convenience foods. Convenience foods usually take less time to prepare. Consider time and money when making selections.

Processed poultry products must meet certain standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These standards usually specify how much poultry must be in the products. For example, "poultry, chop suey" must contain 4 percent poultry meat, but "chop suey with poultry" must contain 2 percent poultry meat.

TIPS ON HANDLING POULTRY STORAGE

Store fresh or cooked poultry in your refrigerator or freezer. The temperature of your refrigerator should ideally be below 40 degrees F. The temperature of your freezer should be 0 degrees F. It is a good idea to check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with a thermometer. Remember that freezer sections of refrigerators often don't reach 0 degrees F. so poultry cannot be stored there as long as it can in separate freezing units.

FRESH POULTRY

For the Refrigerator: It is best to store poultry in the package from the store. If you do unwrap it, wrap it again loosely and store it on a plate or tray to catch natural moisture loss. Store fresh chicken in the coldest part of the refrigerator no more than two days after it is purchased. When you buy chicken, you may see a "sell-by" date up to 7 days later than the day you shop. The "sell-by" date gives the last date the chicken may be sold, not the last date it may be stored in your refrigerator. Our chicken is "chill-packed" and kept in the meat department at a constant temperature of 28-32 degrees F., colder than the approximate 40 degrees F. maintained by your home refrigerator. So, regardless of the "sell-by" date, refrigerate your chicken for no more than two days after it is purchased.


Unopened, fresh whole turkey, on the other hand, may be stored longer. Although USDA and turkey suppliers have yet to agree on storage time, our experience shows that fresh turkey will keep unopened up to one week but not more than 2 days past the sell-by date. Remember, they must be stored unopened in the coldest part of the refrigerator (less than 40 degrees F.).


For the Freezer: When purchasing poultry, if you know that it will not be used within two days, freeze it immediately. Poultry can be frozen whole or cut into parts. To freeze, tightly wrap poultry in moisture-proof paper or foil or freeze in the heavy plastic packaging it comes in. Freezer burn and severe dehydration, can occur when products are poorly wrapped or when wrappings are broken. Freezer burned poultry loses its flavor. Poultry may be refrozen if it thaws in the refrigerator, but it may lose some quality or taste. Refreeze only if there are still some ice crystals in the meat. The maximum storage time listed in the "Poultry Freezer Storage Chart" is that which will maintain the quality of the product. After the recommended time has elapsed, the product is still safe to eat, but may have changed in texture or flavor.

COMMERCIALLY FROZEN POULTRY

Keep frozen poultry hard frozen until ready to thaw or use. Follow instructions for storage on commercially frozen poultry products.

POULTRY FREEZER STORAGE CHART*
PRODUCT	MAXIMUM STORAGE AT 0 DEGREES F. MONTHS
UNCOOKED POULTRY
Chicken cut-up giblets livers whole	9 3 3 12
Duck whole	6
Goose whole	6
Turkey cut-up whole	6 12
COOKED POULTRY
Chicken/turkey Dinners (sliced meat and gravy)	6
Chicken/turkey pies	6
Chicken/turkey without broth or gravy	1
Cooked poultry dishes	4-6
Fried Chicken	4
Poultry gravy and broth	2-3
PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS
Chicken Frankfurters	1
Luncheon Meat	Freezing not recommended
Turkey Ham (cured turkey thigh meat)	Freezing not recommended

*U.S. Department of Agriculture Home and garden Bulletin 110

PROCESSED POULTRY
Follow all storage instructions on processed poultry products. Keep canned poultry products in a cool, dry place. Unused portions may be kept in the cans if they are covered, refrigerated and used quickly.

POULTRY LEFTOVERS
Wrap leftovers tightly in moisture-proof paper or put in tightly sealed containers. Refrigerate or freeze immediately and use within a short period. Store poultry meat, stuffing, and broth or gravy in separate containers.

THAWING
Never thaw frozen poultry on a kitchen counter. Thaw poultry in the refrigerator on a tray or dish since it will lose some of its natural moisture while thawing. This can take days for large turkeys. For example, a 20-24 pound turkey may take 4 to 5 days to thaw. If you must thaw more quickly, place the bird in its unopened bag in the sink or large container and cover with cold water. If the original wrapping is torn, place poultry in another plastic bag and close securely before placing in water. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold. With this method, a 20-24 pound turkey will thaw in 11-12 hours. It's important to note that both methods keep poultry cold while thawing - the key to preventing excessive bacterial growth. Do not thaw poultry at room temperature because the surface gets too warm before the inside thaws.

Poultry can also be thawed in the microwave oven. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the time and power needed for thawing. Whatever method you use, cook poultry promptly.

Thoroughly wash your hands as well as the utensil or surface used to thaw the poultry with soap and hot water.

Do not thaw prestuffed or precooked poultry and combination poultry dishes before cooking or reheating. Follow the directions on the package.

COOKING
Preparation: Rinse poultry before cooking it; dry the poultry if you are going to prepare it in hot fat. Poultry may be skinned before cooking particularly if you want less fat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not recommend stuffing a turkey. If you do, take extra care. Do not stuff poultry until right before you are ready to cook it. Stuff bird loosely so it will heat through completely. If it is packed too tightly, it may not get hot enough to prevent bacterial growth. The stuffing must reach 165^oF. internal temperature.

Tests for Doneness: Always cook poultry to well-done stage. Always cook completely at one time, never partially cook to finish cooking later, since this will promote bacterial growth.

• Meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 170^o to 175^oF. in the breast, 180^o to 185^oF. in the thigh.
  
• Juices run clear and slightly yellow, with no trace of pink, and meat is tender.
  
• Drumsticks are slightly soft to the touch, and pull away from body.
  

Poultry may be cooked from the frozen state; allow about one and a half times the normal cooking period. Frozen prestuffed poultry and frozen poultry dishes should always be cooked from the frozen state. Follow cooking directions on these and all other packaged, processed poultry products.