Even before the processing begins, specially trained rabbis check the birds for injuries or evidence of disease as each chicken is individually handled by staff experienced in detecting any abnormalities. The actual slaughtering process is swiftly and painlessly performed by hand in accordance with the Jewish Dietary laws which command humane treatment of animals. All processing at Empire is done in flowing cold spring water from Empire's own wells. According to kosher law, no hot or heated water can come in contact with the birds during processing. Besides facilitating the removal of blood, the use of cold water is believed to minimize bacterial growth and contamination.
Individual birds go through a series of defeathering machines, all using chilled water.
The use of cold water can make feather removal more difficult but minimizes the cross contamination found in non-kosher plants where birds are defeathered using hot water. While special machinery is used throughout the process, much of the work here is still done by hand. The hand processing includes extra steps, extra inspections. By the time a bird is packed, it has been looked over by hundreds of experienced eyes. After required government inspections, a staff of specially trained rabbis check each bird for any signs of abnormalities, injuries, growths, adhesions, or evidence of disease.