| History & Definitions | | | | used, it can safely be refrozen without |
| | | | cooking first. |
| The chicken is a descendant of the Southeast | | | | |
| Asian red jungle fowl first domesticated in | | | | Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its |
| India around 2000 B.C. Most of the birds | | | | airtight packaging or in a leak proof bag. |
| raised for meat in America today are from the | | | | Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold |
| Cornish (a British breed) and the White Rock | | | | water, changing the water every 30 minutes to |
| (a breed developed in New England). | | | | be sure it stays cold. A whole (3 to 4-pound) |
| Broiler-fryers, roasters, stewing/baking | | | | broiler fryer or package of parts should |
| hens, capons and Rock Cornish hens are all | | | | defrost in 2 to 3 hours. A 1-pound package of |
| chickens. The following are definitions for | | | | boneless breasts will defrost in an hour or |
| these: | | | | less. |
| | | | |
| • Broiler-fryer a young, tender chicken | | | | Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be |
| about 7 weeks old which weighs 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 | | | | cooked immediately after thawing because some |
| pounds when eviscerated. Cook by any method. | | | | areas of the food may become warm and begin |
| | | | to cook during microwaving. Holding partially |
| • Rock Cornish Game Hen - a small | | | | cooked food is not recommended because any |
| broiler-fryer weighing between 1 and 2 | | | | bacteria present wouldn't have been |
| pounds. Usually stuffed and roasted whole. | | | | destroyed. Foods defrosted in the microwave |
| | | | or by the cold water method should be cooked |
| • Roaster - an older chicken about 3 to | | | | before refreezing. |
| 5 months old which weighs 5 to 7 pounds. It | | | | |
| yields more meat per pound than a | | | | Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave |
| broiler-fryer. Usually roasted whole. | | | | or in a slow cooker. However, chicken can be |
| | | | cooked from the frozen state in the oven or |
| • Capon - Male chickens about 16 weeks | | | | on the stove. The cooking time may be about |
| to 8 months old which are surgically unsexed. | | | | 50% longer. |
| They weigh about 4 to 7 pounds and have | | | | |
| generous quantities of tender, light meat. | | | | Stuffed Chicken |
| Usually roasted. | | | | |
| | | | The Hotline does not recommend buying |
| • Stewing/Baking Hen - a mature laying | | | | retail-stuffed fresh whole chicken because of |
| hen 10 months to 1 1/2 years old. Since the | | | | the highly perishable nature of a previously |
| meat is less tender than young chickens, it's | | | | stuffed item. Consumers should not pre-stuff |
| best used in moist cooking such as stewing. | | | | whole chicken to cook at a later time. |
| | | | Chicken can be stuffed immediately before |
| • Cock or rooster - a mature male | | | | cooking. Some USDA-inspected frozen stuffed |
| chicken with coarse skin and tough, dark | | | | whole poultry MUST be cooked from the frozen |
| meat. Requires long, moist cooking. | | | | state to ensure a safely cooked product. |
| | | | Follow preparation directions on the label. |
| Chicken Inspection | | | | |
| | | | Marinating |
| All chickens found in retail stores are | | | | |
| either inspected by USDA or by state systems | | | | Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator |
| which have standards equivalent to the | | | | up to 2 days. Boil used marinade before |
| Federal government. Each chicken and its | | | | brushing on cooked chicken. Discard any |
| internal organs are inspected for signs of | | | | uncooked leftover marinade. |
| disease. The "Inspected for wholesomeness by | | | | |
| the U.S. Department of Agriculture" seal | | | | Safe Cooking |
| insures the chicken is free from visible | | | | |
| signs of disease. | | | | FSIS recommends cooking whole chicken to a |
| | | | safe minimum internal temperature of 165 |
| Chicken Grading | | | | °F as measured using a food thermometer. |
| | | | Check the internal temperature in the |
| Inspection is mandatory but grading is | | | | innermost part of the thigh and wing and the |
| voluntary. Chickens are graded according to | | | | thickest part of the breast. For reasons of |
| USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | | | | personal preference, consumers may choose to |
| regulations and standards for meatiness, | | | | cook poultry to higher temperatures. |
| appearance and freedom from defects. Grade A | | | | |
| chickens have plump, meaty bodies and clean | | | | For approximate cooking times to use in meal |
| skin, free of bruises, broken bones, | | | | planning, see the following chart compiled |
| feathers, cuts and discoloration. | | | | from various resources. |
| | | | |
| Fresh or Frozen | | | | Approximate Chicken Cooking Times |
| | | | |
| The term fresh on a poultry label refers to | | | | Type of Chicken Weight Roasting |
| any raw poultry product that has never been | | | | |
| below 26 °F. Raw poultry held at 0 °F | | | | 350 °F Simmering Grilling |
| or below must be labeled frozen or previously | | | | |
| frozen. No specific labeling is required on | | | | Whole broiler fryer+ 3 to 4 lbs. 1 1/4 - 1 |
| raw poultry stored at temperatures between | | | | 1/2 hrs. 60 to 75 min. 60 to 75 min* |
| 0-25 °F. | | | | |
| | | | Whole roasting hen+ 5 to 7 lbs. 2 to 2 1/4 |
| Dating of Chicken Products | | | | hrs. 1 3/4 to 2 hrs. 18-25 min/lb* |
| | | | |
| Product dating is not required by Federal | | | | Whole capon+ 4 to 8 lbs. 2 to 3 hrs Not |
| regulations, but many stores and processors | | | | suitable 15-20 min/lb* |
| voluntarily date packages of chicken or | | | | |
| chicken products. If a calendar date is | | | | Whole Cornish hens+ 18-24 oz. 50 to 60 min. |
| shown, immediately adjacent to the date there | | | | 35 to 40 min. 45 to 55 min* |
| must be a phrase explaining the meaning of | | | | |
| that date such as sell by or use before. | | | | Breast halves, bone-in 6 to 8 oz. 30 to 40 |
| | | | min. 35 to 45 min. 10 - 15 min/side |
| The use-by date is for quality assurance; | | | | |
| after the date, peak quality begins to lessen | | | | Breast half, boneless 4 ounces 20 to 30 |
| but the product may still be used. It's | | | | min. 25 to 30 min. 6 to 8 min/side |
| always best to buy a product before the date | | | | |
| expires. If a use-by date expires while the | | | | Legs or thighs 8 or 4 oz. 40 to 50 min. 40 |
| chicken is frozen, the food can still be | | | | to 50 min. 10 - 15 min/side |
| used. | | | | |
| | | | Drumsticks 4 ounces 35 to 45 min. 40 to 50 |
| Hormones & Antibiotics | | | | min. 8 to 12 min/side |
| | | | |
| No hormones are used in the raising of | | | | Wings or wingettes 2 to 3 oz. 30 to 40 min. |
| chickens. | | | | 35 to 45 min. 8 to 12 min/side |
| | | | |
| Antibiotics may be given to prevent disease | | | | + Unstuffed. If stuffed, add 15 to 30 minutes |
| and increase feed efficiency. A "withdrawal" | | | | additional time. |
| period is required from the time antibiotics | | | | |
| are administered before the bird can be | | | | * Indirect method using drip pan. |
| slaughtered. This ensures that no residues | | | | |
| are present in the bird's system. FSIS | | | | Microwave Directions: |
| randomly samples poultry at slaughter and | | | | |
| tests for residues. Data from this monitoring | | | | • Microwave on medium-high (70 percent |
| program have shown a very low percentage of | | | | power): whole chicken, 9 to 10 minutes per |
| residue violations. | | | | pound; bone-in parts and Cornish hens, 8 to 9 |
| | | | minutes per pound; boneless breasts halves, 6 |
| Additives | | | | to 8 minutes per pound. |
| | | | |
| Additives are not allowed on fresh chicken. | | | | • When microwaving parts, arrange in |
| If chicken is processed, however, additives | | | | dish or on rack so thick parts are toward the |
| such as MSG, salt, or sodium erythorbate may | | | | outside of dish and thin or bony parts are in |
| be added but must be listed on the label. | | | | the center. |
| | | | |
| Foodborne Organisms Associated with Chicken | | | | • Place whole chicken in an oven |
| | | | cooking bag or in a covered pot. |
| As on any perishable meat, fish or poultry, | | | | |
| bacteria can be found on raw or undercooked | | | | • For boneless breast halves, place in |
| chicken. They multiply rapidly at | | | | a dish with 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic |
| temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F | | | | wrap. |
| (out of refrigeration and before thorough | | | | |
| cooking occurs). Freezing doesn't kill | | | | • Allow 10 minutes standing time for |
| bacteria but they are destroyed by thorough | | | | bone-in chicken; 5 minutes for boneless |
| cooking. | | | | breast. |
| | | | |
| USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has | | | | • The USDA recommends cooking whole |
| a zero tolerance for bacteria in cooked and | | | | poultry to a safe minimum internal |
| ready-to-eat products such as chicken franks | | | | temperature of 165 °F as measured using a |
| or lunch meat that can be eaten without | | | | food thermometer. Check the internal |
| further cooking. | | | | temperature in the innermost part of the |
| | | | thigh and wing and the thickest part of the |
| Most foodborne illness outbreaks are a result | | | | breast. When cooking pieces, the breast, |
| of contamination from food handlers. Sanitary | | | | drumsticks, thighs, and wings should be |
| food handling and proper cooking and | | | | cooked until they reach a safe minimum |
| refrigeration should prevent foodborne | | | | internal temperature of 165 °F. For |
| illnesses. | | | | reasons of personal preference, consumers may |
| | | | choose to cook poultry to higher |
| Bacteria must be consumed on food to cause | | | | temperatures. |
| illness. They cannot enter the body through a | | | | |
| skin cut. However, raw poultry must be | | | | Partial Cooking |
| handled carefully to prevent | | | | |
| cross-contamination. This can occur if raw | | | | Never brown or partially cook chicken to |
| poultry or its juices contact cooked food or | | | | refrigerate and finish cooking later because |
| foods that will be eaten raw such as salad. | | | | any bacteria present wouldn't have been |
| An example of this is chopping tomatoes on an | | | | destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook |
| unwashed cutting board just after cutting raw | | | | or microwave chicken immediately before |
| chicken on it. | | | | transferring it to the hot grill to finish |
| | | | cooking. |
| Following are some bacteria associated with | | | | |
| chicken: | | | | Color of Skin |
| | | | |
| • Salmonella Enteritidis may be found | | | | Chicken skin color varies from cream-colored |
| in the intestinal tracts of livestock, | | | | to yellow. Skin color is a result of the type |
| poultry, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded | | | | of feed eaten by the chicken, not a measure |
| animals. This strain is only one of about | | | | of nutritional value, flavor, tenderness or |
| 2,000 kinds of Salmonella bacteria; it is | | | | fat content. Color preferences vary in |
| often associated with poultry and shell eggs. | | | | different sections of the country, so growers |
| | | | use the type of feed which produces the |
| • Staphylococcus aureus can be carried | | | | desired color. |
| on human hands, in nasal passages, or in | | | | |
| throats. The bacteria are found in foods made | | | | Dark Bones |
| by hand and improperly refrigerated, such as | | | | |
| chicken salad. | | | | Darkening around bones occurs primarily in |
| | | | young broiler-fryers. Since their bones have |
| • Campylobacter jejuni is one of the | | | | not calcified completely, pigment from the |
| most common causes of diarrheal illness in | | | | bone marrow can seep through the porous |
| humans. Preventing cross- contamination and | | | | bones. Freezing can also contribute to this |
| using proper cooking methods reduces | | | | seepage. When the chicken is cooked, the |
| infection by this bacterium. | | | | pigment turns dark. It's perfectly safe to |
| | | | eat chicken meat that turns dark during |
| • Listeria monocytogenes was recognized | | | | cooking. |
| as causing human foodborne illness in 1981. | | | | |
| It is destroyed by cooking, but a cooked | | | | Pink Meat |
| product can be contaminated by poor personal | | | | |
| hygiene. Observe "keep refrigerated" and | | | | The color of cooked chicken is not a sign of |
| "use-by" dates on labels. | | | | its safety. Only by using a food thermometer |
| | | | can one accurately determine that chicken has |
| Rinsing or Soaking Chicken | | | | reached a safe minimum internal temperature |
| | | | of 165 °F throughout. The pink color in |
| It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any | | | | safely cooked chicken may be due to the |
| bacteria which might be present are destroyed | | | | hemoglobin in tissues which can form a |
| by cooking. | | | | heat-stable color. Smoking or grilling may |
| | | | also cause this reaction, which occurs more |
| Liquid in Package | | | | in young birds. |
| | | | |
| Many people think the pink liquid in packaged | | | | Color of Giblets |
| fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly | | | | |
| water which was absorbed by the chicken | | | | Giblet color can vary, especially in the |
| during the chilling process. Blood is removed | | | | liver, from mahogany to yellow. The type of |
| from poultry during slaughter and only a | | | | feed, the chicken's metabolism and its breed |
| small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An | | | | can account for the variation in color. If |
| improperly bled chicken would have cherry red | | | | the liver is green, do not eat it. This is |
| skin and is condemned at the plant. | | | | due to bile retention. However, the chicken |
| | | | meat should be safe to eat. |
| How to Handle Chicken Safely | | | | |
| | | | Fatty Deposits |
| • Fresh Chicken: Chicken is kept cold | | | | |
| during distribution to retail stores to | | | | Chickens may seem to have more fatty deposits |
| prevent the growth of bacteria and to | | | | or contain a larger "fat pad" than in the |
| increase its shelf life. Chicken should feel | | | | past. This is because broiler fryer chickens |
| cold to the touch when purchased. Select | | | | have been bred to grow very rapidly to supply |
| fresh chicken just before checking out at the | | | | the demand for more chicken. Feed that is not |
| register. Put packages of chicken in | | | | converted into muscle tissue (meat) is |
| disposable plastic bags (if available) to | | | | metabolized into fat. However, the fat is not |
| contain any leakage which could | | | | "marbled" into the meat as is beef or other |
| cross-contaminate cooked foods or produce. | | | | red meat, and can be easily removed. |
| Make the grocery your last stop before going | | | | Geneticists are researching ways to eliminate |
| home. | | | | the excess fat. |
| | | | |
| At home, immediately place chicken in a | | | | Trisodium Phosphate |
| refrigerator that maintains 40 °F, and use | | | | |
| within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0 °F. If | | | | Food-grade trisodium phosphate (TSP) has been |
| kept frozen continuously, it will be safe | | | | approved by FSIS for use in poultry slaughter |
| indefinitely. | | | | as an antimicrobial agent. When immersed in |
| | | | and/or sprayed in a dilute solution on |
| Chicken may be frozen in its original | | | | chickens, it can significantly reduce |
| packaging or repackaged. If freezing longer | | | | bacteria levels. TSP is "generally recognized |
| than two months, over wrap the porous store | | | | as safe" (GRAS) by the FDA, and has been |
| plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty | | | | safely used for years, particularly in |
| foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place | | | | processed cheese. |
| the package inside a freezer bag. Use these | | | | |
| materials or airtight freezer containers to | | | | Irradiation of Poultry |
| repackage family packs into smaller amounts | | | | |
| or freeze the chicken from opened packages. | | | | In 1992, the USDA approved a rule to permit |
| | | | irradiation of raw, fresh or frozen packaged |
| Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn," | | | | poultry to control certain common bacteria on |
| which appears as grayish-brown leathery spots | | | | raw poultry that can cause illness when |
| and is caused by air reaching the surface of | | | | poultry is undercooked or otherwise |
| food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either | | | | mishandled. Irradiation at 1.5 to 3.0 kilo |
| before or after cooking the chicken. Heavily | | | | Gray, the smallest, most practical "dose," |
| freezer-burned products may have to be | | | | would eliminate more than 99 percent of |
| discarded because they might be too dry or | | | | Salmonellae organisms on the treated poultry. |
| tasteless. | | | | |
| | | | Packages of irradiated chicken are easily |
| • Ready-Prepared Chicken: When | | | | recognizable at the store because they must |
| purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast | | | | carry the international radura symbol along |
| food chicken, be sure it is hot at time of | | | | with the statement, "treated with |
| purchase. Use it within two hours or cut it | | | | irradiation" or "treated by irradiation." |
| into several pieces and refrigerate in | | | | |
| shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to | | | | Storage Times |
| 4 days, either cold or reheated to 165 °F | | | | |
| (hot and steaming). It is safe to freeze | | | | Since product dates aren't a guide for safe |
| ready-prepared chicken. For best quality, | | | | use of a product, how long can the consumer |
| flavor and texture, use within 4 months. | | | | store the food and still use it at top |
| | | | quality? Follow these tips: |
| Safe Defrosting | | | | |
| | | | • Purchase the product before the date |
| FSIS recommends three ways to defrost | | | | expires. |
| chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold water | | | | |
| and in the microwave. Never defrost chicken | | | | • Follow handling recommendations on |
| on the counter or in other locations. It's | | | | product. |
| best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in | | | | |
| the refrigerator. Boneless chicken breasts | | | | • Keep chicken in its package until |
| will usually defrost overnight. Bone-in parts | | | | using. |
| and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or | | | | |
| longer. Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can | | | | • Freeze chicken in its original |
| be kept in the refrigerator an additional day | | | | packaging, overwrap or re-wrap it according |
| or two before cooking. During this time, if | | | | to directions in the above section, "How to |
| chicken defrosted in the refrigerator is not | | | | Handle Chicken Safely". |