Chicken : Meat and poultry
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 (1 to 2 kg) when eviscerated. Cook by any method.
Rock Cornish Game Hen- a small broiler-fryer weighing between 1 and 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg). Usually stuffed and roasted whole.
Roaster - an older chicken about 3 to 5 months old which weighs 5 to 7 pounds (2.25 to 3.25 kg). 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 (1.75 to 3.25 kg) 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 eggs are also used for food. See that module for more information.
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 (4 °C) and 140 °F (60 °C) (out of refrigeration and before thorough cooking occurs). Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria but they are destroyed by thorough cooking of any food to 160 °F (71 °C).
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.