|
What's for dinner
tonight? There's a good chance it's chicken -- now the number one
species consumed by Americans. Interest in the safe handling and cooking
of chicken is reflected in thousands of calls to the USDA Meat and
Poultry Hotline, second only to turkey in number of specific inquiries.
The following information answers many of the questions these callers
have asked about chicken.
History & Definitions
The chicken is a descendant of the Southeast Asian red jungle fowl
first domesticated in India around 2000 B.C. Most of the birds raised
for meat in America today are from the Cornish (a British breed) and
the White Rock (a breed developed in New England). Broiler-fryers,
roasters, stewing/baking hens, capons and Rock Cornish hens are all
chickens. The following are definitions for these:
- Broiler-fryer a young, tender chicken about 7 weeks
old which weighs 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds when eviscerated. Cook
by any method.
- Rock Cornish Game Hen - a small broiler-fryer weighing
between 1 and 2 pounds. Usually stuffed and roasted whole.
- Roaster - an older chicken about 3 to 5 months old
which weighs 5 to 7 pounds. It yields more meat per pound than
a broiler-fryer. Usually roasted whole.
- Capon - Male chickens about 16 weeks to 8 months old
which are surgically unsexed. They weigh about 4 to 7 pounds and
have generous quantities of tender, light meat. Usually roasted.
- Stewing/Baking Hen - a mature laying hen 10 months
to 1 1/2 years old. Since the meat is less tender than young chickens,
it's best used in moist cooking such as stewing.
- Cock or rooster - a mature male chicken with coarse
skin and tough, dark meat. Requires long, moist cooking.
Chicken Inspection
All chickens found in retail stores are either inspected by USDA or
by state systems which have standards equivalent to the Federal government.
Each chicken and its internal organs are inspected for signs of disease.
The "Inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture"
seal insures the chicken is free from visible signs of disease.
Chicken Grading
Inspection is mandatory but grading is voluntary. Chickens are graded
according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regulations and standards
for meatiness, appearance and freedom from defects. Grade A chickens
have plump, meaty bodies and clean skin, free of bruises, broken bones,
feathers, cuts and discoloration.
Fresh or Frozen
The term fresh on a poultry label refers to any raw poultry
product that has never been below 26 °F. Raw poultry held at 0
°F or below must be labeled frozen or previously
frozen. No specific labeling is required on raw poultry stored
at temperatures between 0-25 °F.
Dating of Chicken Products
Product dating is not required by Federal regulations, but many stores
and processors voluntarily date packages of chicken or chicken products.
If a calendar date is shown, immediately adjacent to the date there
must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as sell
by or use before.
The use-by date is for quality assurance; after the date, peak quality
begins to lessen but the product may still be used. It's always best
to buy a product before the date expires. If a use-by date expires
while the chicken is frozen, the food can still be used.
Hormones & Antibiotics
No hormones are used in the raising of chickens.
Antibiotics may be given to prevent disease and increase feed efficiency.
A "withdrawal" period is required from the time antibiotics are administered
before the bird can be slaughtered. This ensures that no residues
are present in the bird's system. FSIS randomly samples poultry at
slaughter and tests for residues. Data from this monitoring program
have shown a very low percentage of residue violations.
Additives
Additives are not allowed on fresh chicken. If chicken is processed,
however, additives such as MSG, salt, or sodium erythorbate may be
added but must be listed on the label.
Foodborne Organisms Associated with Chicken
As on any perishable meat, fish or poultry, bacteria can be found
on raw or undercooked chicken. They multiply rapidly at temperatures
between 40 °F and 140 °F (out of refrigeration and before
thorough cooking occurs). Freezing doesn't kill bacteria but they
are destroyed by thorough cooking.
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has a zero tolerance for
bacteria in cooked and ready-to-eat products such as chicken franks
or lunch meat that can be eaten without further cooking.
Most foodborne illness outbreaks are a result of contamination from
food handlers. Sanitary food handling and proper cooking and refrigeration
should prevent foodborne illnesses.
Bacteria must be consumed on food to cause illness. They cannot enter
the body through a skin cut. However, raw poultry must be handled
carefully to prevent cross-contamination. This can occur if raw poultry
or its juices contact cooked food or foods that will be eaten raw
such as salad. An example of this is chopping tomatoes on an unwashed
cutting board just after cutting raw chicken on it.
Following are some bacteria associated with chicken:
- Salmonella Enteritidis may be found in the intestinal
tracts of livestock, poultry, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded
animals. This strain is only one of about 2,000 kinds of Salmonella
bacteria; it is often associated with poultry and shell eggs.
- Staphylococcus aureus can be carried on human hands,
in nasal passages, or in throats. The bacteria are found in foods
made by hand and improperly refrigerated, such as chicken salad.
- Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes
of diarrheal illness in humans. Preventing cross- contamination
and using proper cooking methods reduces infection by this bacterium.
- Listeria monocytogenes was recognized as causing human
foodborne illness in 1981. It is destroyed by cooking, but a cooked
product can be contaminated by poor personal hygiene. Observe
"keep refrigerated" and "use-by" dates on labels.
Rinsing or Soaking Chicken
It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any bacteria which might
be present are destroyed by cooking.
Liquid in Package
Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood,
but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the
chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and
only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled
chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant.
How to Handle Chicken Safely
- Fresh Chicken: Chicken is kept cold during
distribution to retail stores to prevent the growth of bacteria
and to increase its shelf life. Chicken should feel cold to the
touch when purchased. Select fresh chicken just before checking
out at the register. Put packages of chicken in disposable plastic
bags (if available) to contain any leakage which could cross-contaminate
cooked foods or produce. Make the grocery your last stop before
going home.
At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains
40 °F, and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0 °F.
If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely.
Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged.
If freezing longer than two months, over wrap the porous store
plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or
freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag. Use
these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage family
packs into smaller amounts or freeze the chicken from opened packages.
Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn," which appears as grayish-brown
leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of food.
Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking
the chicken. Heavily freezer-burned products may have to be discarded
because they might be too dry or tasteless.
- Ready-Prepared Chicken: When purchasing fully
cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at time
of purchase. Use it within two hours or cut it into several pieces
and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to
4 days, either cold or reheated to 165 °F (hot and steaming).
It is safe to freeze ready-prepared chicken. For best quality,
flavor and texture, use within 4 months.
Safe Defrosting
FSIS recommends three ways to defrost chicken: in the refrigerator,
in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost chicken on the counter
or in other locations. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing
in the refrigerator. Boneless chicken breasts will usually defrost
overnight. Bone-in parts and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or
longer. Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can be kept in the refrigerator
an additional day or two before cooking. During this time, if chicken
defrosted in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen
without cooking first.
Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or
in a leak proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water,
changing the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cold. A whole
(3 to 4-pound) broiler fryer or package of parts should defrost in
2 to 3 hours. A 1-pound package of boneless breasts will defrost in
an hour or less.
Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after
thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to
cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended
because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. Foods defrosted
in the microwave or by the cold water method should be cooked before
refreezing.
Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave or in a slow cooker. However,
chicken can be cooked from the frozen state in the oven or on the
stove. The cooking time may be about 50% longer.
Stuffed Chicken
The Hotline does not recommend buying retail-stuffed fresh whole chicken
because of the highly perishable nature of a previously stuffed item.
Consumers should not pre-stuff whole chicken to cook at a later time.
Chicken can be stuffed immediately before cooking. Some USDA-inspected
frozen stuffed whole poultry MUST be cooked from the frozen state
to ensure a safely cooked product. Follow preparation directions on
the label.
Marinating
Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Boil used
marinade before brushing on cooked chicken. Discard any uncooked leftover
marinade.
Safe Cooking
FSIS recommends cooking whole chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature
of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal
temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest
part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers
may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.
For approximate cooking times to use in meal planning, see the following
chart compiled from various resources.
Approximate
Chicken Cooking Times |
Type of Chicken
|
Weight |
Roasting
350 °F |
Simmering |
Grilling |
Whole broiler fryer+ |
3 to 4 lbs. |
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hrs. |
60 to 75 min. |
60 to 75 min* |
Whole roasting hen+ |
5 to 7 lbs. |
2 to 2 1/4 hrs. |
1 3/4 to 2 hrs. |
18-25 min/lb* |
Whole capon+ |
4 to 8 lbs. |
2 to 3 hrs |
Not suitable |
15-20 min/lb* |
Whole Cornish hens+ |
18-24 oz. |
50 to 60 min. |
35 to 40 min. |
45 to 55 min* |
Breast halves, bone-in |
6 to 8 oz. |
30 to 40 min. |
35 to 45 min. |
10 - 15 min/side |
Breast half, boneless |
4 ounces |
20 to 30 min. |
25 to 30 min. |
6 to 8 min/side |
Legs or thighs |
8 or 4 oz. |
40 to 50 min. |
40 to 50 min. |
10 - 15 min/side |
Drumsticks |
4 ounces |
35 to 45 min. |
40 to 50 min. |
8 to 12 min/side |
Wings or wingettes |
2 to 3 oz. |
30 to 40 min. |
35 to 45 min. |
8 to 12 min/side |
+ Unstuffed. If stuffed, add 15 to 30 minutes additional time.
* Indirect method using drip pan.
Microwave Directions:
- Microwave on medium-high (70 percent power): whole chicken,
9 to 10 minutes per pound; bone-in parts and Cornish hens, 8 to
9 minutes per pound; boneless breasts halves, 6 to 8 minutes per
pound.
- When microwaving parts, arrange in dish or on rack so thick
parts are toward the outside of dish and thin or bony parts are
in the center.
- Place whole chicken in an oven cooking bag or in a covered pot.
- For boneless breast halves, place in a dish with 1/4 cup water;
cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow 10 minutes standing time for bone-in chicken; 5 minutes
for boneless breast.
- The USDA recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum
internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer.
Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh
and wing and the thickest part of the breast. When cooking pieces,
the breast, drumsticks, thighs, and wings should be cooked until
they reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook
poultry to higher temperatures.
Partial Cooking
Never brown or partially cook chicken to refrigerate and finish cooking
later because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. It
is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave chicken immediately before
transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking.
Color of Skin
Chicken skin color varies from cream-colored to yellow. Skin color
is a result of the type of feed eaten by the chicken, not a measure
of nutritional value, flavor, tenderness or fat content. Color preferences
vary in different sections of the country, so growers use the type
of feed which produces the desired color.
Dark Bones
Darkening around bones occurs primarily in young broiler-fryers. Since
their bones have not calcified completely, pigment from the bone marrow
can seep through the porous bones. Freezing can also contribute to
this seepage. When the chicken is cooked, the pigment turns dark.
It's perfectly safe to eat chicken meat that turns dark during cooking.
Pink Meat
The color of cooked chicken is not a sign of its safety. Only by using
a food thermometer can one accurately determine that chicken has reached
a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout. The
pink color in safely cooked chicken may be due to the hemoglobin in
tissues which can form a heat-stable color. Smoking or grilling may
also cause this reaction, which occurs more in young birds.
Color of Giblets
Giblet color can vary, especially in the liver, from mahogany to yellow.
The type of feed, the chicken's metabolism and its breed can account
for the variation in color. If the liver is green, do not eat it.
This is due to bile retention. However, the chicken meat should be
safe to eat.
Fatty Deposits
Chickens may seem to have more fatty deposits or contain a larger
"fat pad" than in the past. This is because broiler fryer chickens
have been bred to grow very rapidly to supply the demand for more
chicken. Feed that is not converted into muscle tissue (meat) is metabolized
into fat. However, the fat is not "marbled" into the meat as is beef
or other red meat, and can be easily removed. Geneticists are researching
ways to eliminate the excess fat.
Trisodium Phosphate
Food-grade trisodium phosphate (TSP) has been approved by FSIS for
use in poultry slaughter as an antimicrobial agent. When immersed
in and/or sprayed in a dilute solution on chickens, it can significantly
reduce bacteria levels. TSP is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS)
by the FDA, and has been safely used for years, particularly in processed
cheese.
Irradiation of Poultry
In 1992, the USDA approved a rule to permit irradiation of raw, fresh
or frozen packaged poultry to control certain common bacteria on raw
poultry that can cause illness when poultry is undercooked or otherwise
mishandled. Irradiation at 1.5 to 3.0 kilo Gray, the smallest, most
practical "dose," would eliminate more than 99 percent of Salmonellae
organisms on the treated poultry.
Packages of irradiated chicken are easily recognizable at the store
because they must carry the international radura symbol along with
the statement, "treated with irradiation" or "treated by irradiation."
Storage Times
Since product dates aren't a guide for safe use of a product, how
long can the consumer store the food and still use it at top quality?
Follow these tips:
- Purchase the product before the date expires.
- Follow handling recommendations on product.
- Keep chicken in its package until using.
- Freeze chicken in its original packaging, overwrap or re-wrap
it according to directions in the above section, "How to Handle
Chicken Safely".
Refrigerator
Home Storage (at 40° F or below) of Chicken Products |
Product |
Refrigerator
Storage Times |
Fresh Chicken, Giblets or Ground
Chicken |
1 to 2 days |
Cooked Chicken, Leftover |
3 to 4 days |
Chicken Broth or Gravy |
1 to 2 days |
Cooked Chicken Casseroles, Dishes
or Soup |
3 to 4 days |
Cooked Chicken Pieces, covered with
broth or gravy |
1 to 2 days |
Cooked Chicken Nuggets, Patties |
1 to 2 days |
Fried Chicken |
3 to 4 days |
Take-Out Convenience Chicken (Rotisserie,
Fried, etc.) |
3 to 4 days |
Restaurant Chicken Leftovers, brought
immediately home in a "Doggy Bag" |
3 to 4 days |
Store-cooked Chicken Dinner including
gravy |
1 to 2 days |
Chicken Salad |
3 to 5 days |
Deli-sliced Chicken Luncheon Meat
|
3 to 5 days |
Chicken Luncheon Meat, sealed in
package |
2 weeks (but no longer than 1 week
after a "sell-by" date) |
Chicken Luncheon Meat, after opening
|
3 to 5 days |
Vacuum-packed Dinners, Commercial
brand with USDA seal |
Unopened 2 weeks
Opened 3 to 4 days |
Chicken Hotdogs, unopened |
2 weeks (but no longer than 1 week
after a "sell-by" date) |
Chicken Hotdogs, after opening |
7 days |
Canned Chicken Products |
2 to 5 years in pantry |
|
Last Modified:
April 4, 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|