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Chicken. America’s Favorite Meat Source. Appeal Of Chicken. In the year 2000, Chicken surpassed Beef as American’s most popular meat source. In 1975, the U.S. consumed an average of 35 lbs (~16kg) per person In 2000, the U.S. consumed an average of 80 lbs (~36kg) per person
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Chicken America’s Favorite Meat Source
Appeal Of Chicken • In the year 2000, Chicken surpassed Beef as American’s most popular meat source. • In 1975, the U.S. consumed an average of 35 lbs (~16kg) per person • In 2000, the U.S. consumed an average of 80 lbs (~36kg) per person • Chicken consumption has grown at an average rate of 5% per year since 1975
Reasons For Growth In Consumption Rate • Chicken is a relatively cheap food source; the average cost to produce is ~ $1/kg • Easy Meal Solutions • Positive Health Messages • Well known chicken fast food chains - KFC - McDonalds’ Chicken McNuggets
Stunning and Bleeding • Birds are removed carefully from their crates by holding both legs and placing carefully on the overhead rail in shackles • Brine bath stunning • Brine and the metal in shackles act as two electrodes • Once birds head contacts bath, it is stunned • Uniformity of size is important • After cutting, allow bird to bleed for 1.5 - 2 min
Scalding and Defeathering • Overhead rail transports birds to scalding bath (52°C ) • Taken off rail and remove tail and flight feathers • Soft Feather removal: • Drum Plucker • Bowl Plucker
Evisceration • The head is removed; neck is cut away • Giblets (liver, heart and gizzard) are separated • Inedible parts are placed in bin • Inspection of bird and giblets • Birds are then washed in cold chlorinated water and chilled in cooled water • Chicken is taken off overhead conveyor; feet are chopped off
Cooling and Cutting • Birds are cooled in a Chill Store • Lower temp. from 35°C to 5°C in two hours • Must be cut quickly before temperature rises • Carcasses may be prepared as whole birds or by cutting into halves, quarters, legs, thighs, wings, breasts, drumsticks or complete deboning
Packing and Refrigeration • Chicken is packaged in plastic bags or on trays • Giblets are reunited with whole chickens • If operating at a high capacity, most of the chickens will be frozen before dispatching • Blast freezing requires precision timing
Further Processing Specialized operations or plants that receive whole chicken or cut-up parts and perform a variety of further processing steps, such as cooking, breading, or marinating.