Processing of Poultry for Meat

Processing is the process, which involves the killing and dressing of poultry birds to be made
ready for consumption. Only healthy birds, free from pin feathers should be used for this purpose.
Equipments required: Eviscerating table, chilling vats, barrels (for storing the wastes),
scalding tank, holding crates, cooling racks, etc.
All the equipments and utensils must be thoroughly sterilized before use.
How to select birds suitable for processing?
Birds which show certain symptoms must be rejected for processing as they may not be
completely suitable for human consumption. Following symptoms must be watched in a bird to
decide whether to reject or use it:
 Discolorations of comb and wattles; Lameness or droopiness; Greenish, yellowish,
brownish or bloody diarrhea; Gaping; Sneezing; Rattling in throat; Nasal discharges;
Swelling of sinuses; Abnormal growths or swelling; Extreme emaciation and General
vigor and vitality.
Killing of birds: The common method of killing birds is by cutting the large jugular veins either
from outside or inside (Kascher cut method). Inside cut is given when birds are to be marketed.
Outside cut given when ready to eat meat is required. Complete removal of head, by
Decapitation/Jhatka method or Halal method, is not advised as proper bleeding does not take
place. Electric killing is advised only in large plants and must be carefully done so as to just to
stun the bird to stop its heart action. High electric shock results in hard picking.

Killing

Bleeding: It is very essential to let the birds to bleed properly after killing. The time required
depends upon size, breed, age of bird etc. The birds are usually bled into pails or drains. The birds
must not be subjected to scalding before they completely stop breathing or else the air–sacks may
get contaminated.

Scalding: Submerging the dead birds in hot water facilitates removal of feathers by loosening the
muscles around base of feathers. There are three types of scaling processes are practiced:-
1) Hard scalding: birds submerged in hot water (71-82 degrees Celsius) for 30-60 seconds.
It is used in duck, geese and chickens meant for canning purpose because the skin of
broilers becomes discolored.
2) Sub-scalding: birds submerged for 30-75 seconds in water 59-60 degree Celsius. It gives
shiny appearance to carcass.
3) Semi- scalding: birds are submerged for 30-75 seconds in water 50.5-54.5 degree Celsius.
Here the epidermis remains intact thus giving it a more appealing look. It is done in case
of broilers.
The temperature and duration of scalding depends upon the age, size of bird.
Picking: Removal of feathers from the bird is known as picking. There are again two types:
1) Dry picking: is practiced only when few birds are done, for domestic purposes.
2) Wet picking: It is more commonly used in commercial farms. Feathers are removed in
the following order- tail, wing, sides, legs, back, hips and neck. Mechanical picking
 involves a feather picking machine having a revolving drum with fingers against which
the birds are held to remove feathers. All feathers except pinfeathers are removed
mechanically.

Picking

Pinning: The pin feathers are removed with a pinning knife. The pin feathers are held between
the thumb and the knife and pulled outward. Scrapping of pinning area should be avoided. Proper
scalding and picking reduce the problem of pin feathers.
Singeing: The removal of hairs without damage to skin by means of passing a flame over the
surface of birds is called singeing. It is done by a singer, which is like a blower.
Cropping and Venting: Sometimes the birds are transported along with viscera, thus the food or
the entire crop must be removed by giving a small cut at the neck. Faeces are also removed by
pressing abdomen. It is not necessary in case the birds have to be eviscerated.
Washing: Birds must be washed thoroughly with fresh and clean water.
Evisceration: For ready to cook purpose, it must be done while carcass is warm whereas if cut
parts are to be sold a chilling time is required before evisceration.
In roaster or whole birds:
a) Remove oil glands, feet and head.
b) Make transverse cuts in body cavity and around the vent to pull out the viscera.
c) Make sure not to damage the intestine, gall bladder, crop, etc
d) Remove lungs, ovary, oviduct, testis, etc.
e) Split skin from shoulder tip and loosen it away from neck.
f) Wash with clean water inside out and hang them to drain.
g) Insert the trimmed, washed, wraped giblets and neck in the body cavity.
h) The giblets can be removed and cleaned in the following manner:
i. The heart and liver is cut away from the viscera with scissors. Arteries are removed
from the heart. Gall bladder is removed without breaking it. It should all be washed
and left in a perforated pan to drain.
ii. Cut the gizzard from the opening of the glandular stomach. Both openings are cut
up and washed. The inner lining of gizzard is removed.
i) Push the legs forward and down to disjoint, push them in opening around vent.
j) Pull neck skin over back, press wings close to body and lay roaster on back.
In Broilers or Frayers:
a) Remove oil glands, head, shank but not the neck.
b) Cut through clavicle and rib bones on each side of back bone.
c) Cut around vent and pull out back bone and neck and open bird along the back to pull out
the intestines, lungs, trachea, ovary, testis etc.
d) Clean and trim giblets as described earlier.
e) The backbone and neck are strips are cut into three pieces.
f) Frayers weighing 1000-1200 gms are often cut into quarters, yielding two pieces of dark
and white.
If carcass is to be cut up in pieces, it must be chilled prior to cutting by ice (4-8 hours) or air-cooling (24
hours).
Cutting: of the carcass into pieces must be done in following sequence-
 Cut-off wings: wings cut off first by pulling with left hand and cutting with the right.
 Removal of breast: it is cut through both sides of bird behind the last rib.
 Legs: hold the leg in left hand and cut at the pelvis joint with the right to dislocate the leg from
the joint. Hold the back bone with the left and cut the other leg with the right hand.
 Separating drumsticks and thigh: can be done by cutting at the joint.
 Splitting of back, breasts: they are cut by saw.
A complete cut-up will have: breast ( 2 or more pieces), 2 wings, 2 legs (thighs and drumsticks), back,
neck and heart, liver and gizzard.
Description of Cut-up parts
 Breast: it is separated from back by a cut starting at the shoulder joint and going through
junction of vertebral and sternal ribs. Neck skin is not included.
 Wing: includes the entire wing with all muscles and skin intact.
 Drum sticks: are separated from thigh by a cut through the knee joint.

Chicken cuts Chicken parts

 Thighs: are disjointed at the knee and hip joints. They include neither the pelvic bone nor
the oyster.
 Neck: is separated from carcass at the shoulder joint and includes neck skin.
 Backs: includes scapula, vertebrae, vertebral ribs, pelvic bones with all muscles and skin
intact. Back is separated into front and rear portions by transverse cut between thoracic
and lumbosacral vertebral regions.
 Giblets: include liver from which gallbladder is removed, the gizzard from which lining
and contents are removed and the heart.
 Halves: are obtained by cutting the ready to cook carcass in half by saw length wise
through the center of the vertebral column and sternum.
 Quarters: front and rear (light and dark) quarters are separated from halves by a cut from
a point directly rear to sternum and through the vertebral column at the junction of
thoracic and lumbosacral regions.
Inedible parts: oil sac, windpipe, oesophagus, crops, all intestinal tracts (including vent), spleen,
lungs, ovaries and testis, head, shanks, gall bladder, gizzard lining, arteries and heart membrane.
These must be collected and discarded, as they are considered inedible.
Packaging: in boxes (55cm x 40cm x 25cm) having double lining with such a material which does not
impart flavour, color to the poultry. These boxes should be dust free for the purpose of transportation.
Birds are packed breasts up in the boxes, or in case of cut-up parts the pieces are set up individually with
the back and breasts on top. The box is then weighed, marked, packed and sealed, ready to be frozen.
 Packed processed chicken Mechanized poultry processing plant

Table 1. Nutrients found in processed chicken.

Proximates Vitamins Minerals

Moisture Thiamin Sodium

Ash Riboflavin Potassium

Total nitrogen (protein) Niacin Calcium

Fat Vitamin A (retinol) Magnesium

Fatty acid profile Vitamin E (tocopherol) Zinc

Cholesterol Folate Copper

   
Iron
   
Phosphorus

Chemical composition of raw meat (Chicken)

Water 76% Calcium (mg) 12%

Protein 19% Phosphorus (mg) 201%

Fat 5% Iron (mg) 1.9%

Saturated fatty acids 2% Vit A (IU) 730

Oleic acid 2% Thiamine (mg) 0.07%

Linoleic acid 1% Riboflavin (mg) 0.38%

Ash 0.8% Niacin (mg) 5.6%

(Having mainly P, Ca & Fe)