TURKEYS

And other
Poultry includes
domesticated
birds

85

PIGEONS
DUCKS
Structure & Composition of Poultry Meats

 Poultry meat has distinct dark and white

muscles. The dark muscles are those which are
more active.
 A dark chicken meat is richer in riboflavin,
poorer in niacin and has more fat and connective
tissues than white meat
 Chicken fat is yellow mainly because of the
presence of carotenoids xanthophyll and
carotene.
 Postmortem Changes in Poultry Meats:

1.Stiffening of muscles during rigor mortis;

2.Disappearance of glycogen, adenosine
triposphate and N-phosphoryl-creatine;
3.Appearance of ammonia and inosinic acid from
the deamination of adenylic acid;
4.Accumulation of lactic acid from the anaerobic
breakdown of glycogen. The accumulation of
lactic acid lowers the chicken muscle pH from
7.0 to 5.7-5.9.
 NOTE:

- Poultry like red meats, are tough if it is

cooked before or while meat is still rigor.
- Poultry meat cooled in ice water is more
tender than that from poultry held at higher
temperatures, and that cooled in air, hence
chilling is important after the bird is
eviscerated.
 Classes of Poultry
1. Rock Cornish Game Hen or Cornish Game Hen
- It is a young immature chicken (5-7 weeks of age)
weighing not more than 2 lbs.
2. Broiler or Fryer
- Is a young chicken usually 9–12 weeks of age
3. Roaster
- Is a young chicken (usually 3-5 months), of either sex,
that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured
skin or flexible breastbone cartilage that may be
somewhat less flexible than that of a broiler or fryer.
4. Capon
- Is a surgically unsexed male chicken (usually under 8
months of age) that is tender-meated with soft, pliable,
smooth-texture skin.
5. Stag
- Is a male chicken (usually under 10 months
of age) with coarse skin, somewhat
toughened and darkened flesh, and
considerable hardening of the breast-bone
cartilage.
6. Hen or Stewing Chicken or Fowl
- Is a mature female chicken usually more
than 10 months of age with meat less tender
than that of a roaster and non-flexible
breastbone tip.
7. Cock or Rooster
- Is a mature male chicken with coarse skin,
toughened and darkened meat, and
hardened breastbone tip.
 Market Forms

1.Live Bird
2.Dressed Poultry – are slaughtered poultry
with head, feet and viscera intact. Only
blood and feathers have been removed.
3.Ready to Cook Poultry – these have been
slaughtered, cleaned, eviscerated and
the feet and head removed and ready
for cooking.
POULTRY PARTS
 Whole Chicken
The chicken with all parts intact, generally including the giblets
stuffed in the cavity. Consists of white and dark meat.

• Poultry Half
The chicken is split in half lengthwise through the breast and
back, leaving fairly equal halves consisting of the same parts.
Both halves consist of white and dark meat.

 Breast
The entire breast portion of the chicken. It is available bone-in,
boneless, skin-on and skinless. Consists of white meat.

• Breast Quarter
Generally includes a little more than one quarter of the meat
on the chicken. The chart includes half a breast, a wing, and
part of the back.

• Breast Halves
Also referred to as split breast. The breast portion of the chicken that
has been split lengthwise, producing two halves. They are available
bone-in,
boneless, skin-on and skinless. Larger breast halves sometimes cut in
half to provide smaller portion sizes. Consists of white meat only.
• Tenderloin
The muscle of the breast, which runs along both sides of the
breastbone, located on the upper portion of the breast. Consists
of white meat only.

 Wing
This consists of the three sections, the wing tip, the wingette (or
flat wing tip), and the drummettes.

 Drummette
The section of the wing that is connected to the body of the
bird and contains most of the wings meat. It resembles a very
small drumstick.

 Wingette
Also referred to as the flat wing tip. The middle section of the
wing, which does not contain much meat, but is generally
moister than the drummette.
 Wing Tip
The third and outer most section of the wing. Does not contain
much meat and is many times discarded. It can be used when
making stock to help add flavor to the broth.
• Leg
The leg of the chicken consists of two parts, which are the thigh
and the drumstick. Consist of dark meat only.

 Leg Quarters
Generally includes a litter less than a quarter of the meat on the
chicken. The cut includes a thigh, drumstick, and a part of the
back.

• Thigh
The top portion of the leg above the knee joint that is
connected to the body of the chicken. Consists of all dark
meat.

 Drumstick
The bottom portion of the leg below the knee
joint. Consists of all dark meat.

•Giblets
Consists of the neck, liver, heart, and gizzard.
Factors Affecting Poultry Quality
A. Production
1. Disease control-the majority of poultry condemnations are results of pathological
conditions which in turn are influenced by management practices.
2. Housing-abnormally high or low temperatures and humidity cause stresses on live broilers
which make them less resistant to disease.

B. Marketing-loss in quality in market channels can caused by handling live birds during the
procurement operation, damage to the carcass during processing and loss of quality
because of poor or prolong storage conditions.
1. Handling-injury to a bird can result from careless handling of either individual birds or
crates of birds.
2. Shrinkage-this is the loss in weight of live poultry between the time it is picked up at the
farm and processing plant.
Reasons behind Chicken Shrinkage
a. Time of transit from loading to market
b. Ration feed
c. Sex
d. Changes in temperatures and humidity
3. Bruises-these can decrease considerably the
quality of the birds. As bruised tisssue ages the blood
oxidizes and bruise areas darkens in color from red to
dark red or purple, then green or yellow. These are
more prone to permeability to microbial penetration
tha unbruised flesh.
4. Broken bones-these are caused by rough handling.
C. Processing
Poultry Cookery
1. Tears
1. Tinola
2. Poor Bleeding
2. Adobo
3. Over scalding
3. Relleno
4. Disfigurement
4. Barbecue
5. Contamination

DETERMINING CHICKEN DONENESS

D. Storage
 Thermometer
1. Freezer burn
 Piercing
2. Rancidity
 Visual
3. Off-flavors
Slaughtering of Poultry
1. Fasting-The birds are kept without food for 8-24 hours, except water prior to
slaughter.
2. Slitting-The birds are killed by slitting with a sharp knife and with one stroke the
jugular vein found in the bird’s throat.
3. Bleeding may take about 1-3 minutes; this depends on the efficiency of the cut,
type, size of the poultry and the manner of the slaughter.
4. Defeathering-Removal of feathers and pinfeathers are done by scalding dipping
the bled birds in hot water at about 60ºC for 30-75 seconds depending upon the
size of the birds.
note: above 70ºC-damages the skin of poultry causing the skin to tear and the
flesh may become doughy and discolored.
5. Eviceration-Removal of the entrails