Chicken as food

Chickenis the most common type ofpoultryin the world.Owing to the relative ease and low cost of raising chickens—in comparison to mammals such ascattleorhogs—chickenmeat(commonly called just "chicken") and chickeneggshave become prevalent in numerouscuisines.
Chicken can be prepared in a vast range of ways, includingbaking,grilling,barbecuing,frying,boiling, androasting. Since the latter half of the 20th century, prepared chicken has become a staple offast food. Chicken is sometimes cited as being more healthy thanred meat, with lower concentrations ofcholesterolandsaturated fat.
Thepoultry farmingindustry that accounts for chicken production takes on a range of forms across different parts of the world. Indeveloped countries, chickens are typically subject tointensive farmingmethods while less-developed areas raise chickens using more traditional farming techniques. TheUnited Nationsestimates there to be 19 billion chickens on Earth in 2011, making them outnumber humans more than two to one.
The modernchickenis a descendant ofred junglefowlhybrids along with thegrey junglefowlfirst raised thousands of years ago in the northern parts of theIndian subcontinent.
Chicken as a meat has been depicted inBabyloniancarvings from around 600 BC.Chicken was one of the most common meats available in theMiddle Ages.For thousands of years, a number of different kinds of chicken have been eaten across most of theEastern hemisphere,includingcapons,pullets, and hens. It was one of the basic ingredients inblancmange, astewusually consisting of chicken and friedonionscooked inmilkand seasoned with spices andsugar.
In the United States in the 1800s, chicken was more expensive than other meats and it was "sought by the rich because [it is] so costly as to be an uncommon dish."Chicken consumption in the U.S. increased duringWorld War IIdue to a shortage ofbeefandpork.In Europe, consumption of chicken overtook that of beef andvealin 1996, linked to consumer awareness ofbovine spongiform encephalopathy(mad cow disease).
357 million tonnes of meat were produced in 2021, 53% more than in 2000, with chicken meat representing more than half the increase. Chicken meat was the most produced type of meat in 2021 just ahead of pig meat.
Modern varieties ofchickensuch as the Cornish Cross, are bred specifically for meat production, with an emphasis placed on the ratio of feed to meat produced by the animal. The most common breeds of chicken consumed in the U.S. areCornishand White Rock.
Chickens raised specifically for food are calledbroilers. In the U.S., broilers are typically butchered at a young age. Modern Cornish Cross hybrids, for example, are butchered as early as 8 weeks for fryers and 12 weeks for roasting birds.
Capons(castratedcocks) produce more and fattier meat. For this reason, they are considered a delicacy and were particularly popular in theMiddle Ages.
Chicken meat contains about two to three times as muchpolyunsaturated fatas most types ofred meatwhen measured asweightpercentage.
Chicken generally includes low fat in the meat itself (castrated roostersexcluded).The fat is highly concentrated on the skin.100 grams (3.5 oz) of raw chicken breast contains 2 grams (0.071 oz) of fat and 22 grams (0.78 oz) of protein, compared to 9 grams (0.32 oz) of fat and 20 grams (0.71 oz) of protein for the same portion of rawbeef flanksteak.
Infactory farming, chickens are routinely administered with the feed additiveroxarsone, anorganoarsenic compoundwhich partially decomposes into inorganicarseniccompounded in the flesh of chickens, and in their feces, which are often used as a fertilizer.The compound is used to control stomach pathogens and promote growth. In a 2013 sample conducted by theJohns Hopkins School of Public Healthof chicken meat from poultry producers that did not prohibitroxarsone, 70% of the samples in the US had levels which exceeded the safety limits as set by theFDA.The FDA has sincerevised its stance on safe limits to inorganic arsenic in animal feed by stating that "any new animal drug that contributes to the overall inorganic arsenic burden is of potential concern".
The FDA approval for roxarsone and two other arsenic poultry drugs were voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturers in September 2013.The final remaining arsenic drugnitarsonewas banned at the end of 2015.
Information obtained by the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance (CIPARS) "strongly indicates thatcephalosporinresistance in humans is moving in lockstep with the use of the drug in poultry production". According to theCanadian Medical Association Journal, the unapproved antibioticceftiofuris routinely injected intoeggsin Quebec and Ontario to discourage infection of hatchlings. Although the data are contested by the industry,antibiotic resistancein humans appears to be directly related to the antibiotic's use in eggs.
A study by theTranslational Genomics Research Instituteshowed that nearly half (47%) of the meat and poultry in US grocery stores was contaminated withS. aureus, with more than half (52%) of those bacteria resistant to antibiotics.Furthermore, as per theFDA, more than 25% of retail chicken is resistant to 5 or more different classes of antibiotic treatment drugs in the United States.An estimated 90–100% of conventional chicken contains, at least, one form of antibiotic resistance microorganism, while organic chicken has been found to have a lower incidence at 84%.
In random surveys of chicken products across the United States in 2012, thePhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicinefound 48% of samples to containfecalmatter. On mostcommercial chicken farms, the chickens spend their entire life standing in, lying on, and living in their own manure, which is somewhat mixed in with the bedding material (e.g., sawdust, wood shavings, chopped straw, etc.).
During shipping from the concentrated animal feeding operation farm to theabattoir, the chickens are usually placed inside shipping crates that usually have slatted floors. Those crates are then piled 5 to 10 rows high on the transport truck to the abattoir. During shipment, the chickens tend to defecate, and that chicken manure tends to sit inside the crowded cages, contaminating the feathers and skin of the chickens, or rains down upon the chickens and crates on the lower levels of the transport truck. By the time the truck gets to the abattoir, most chickens have had their skin and feathers contaminated with feces.
There is also fecal matter in the intestines. While the slaughter process removes the feathers and intestines, only visible fecal matter is removed.The high speed automated processes at the abattoir are not designed to remove this fecal contamination on the feather and skin. The high speed processing equipment tend to spray the contamination around to the birds going down the processing line, and the equipment on the line itself. At one or more points on most abattoirs, chemical sprays and baths (e.g., bleach, acids, peroxides, etc.) are used to partially rinse off or kill this bacterial contamination. The fecal contamination, once it has occurred, especially in the various membranes between the skin and muscle, is impossible to completely remove.
Chicken is sold both as whole birds and broken down into pieces.
In the United Kingdom, juvenile chickens of less than 28 days of age at slaughter are marketed aspoussin. Mature chicken is sold as small, medium or large.
In the United States, whole mature chickens are marketed as fryers, broilers, and roasters. Fryers are the smallest size (2.5-4 lbs dressed for sale), and the most common, as chicken reach this size quickly (about 7 weeks). Broilers are larger than fryers. Roasters, or roasting hens, are the largest chickens commonly sold (3–5 months and 6-8 lbs) and are typically more expensive. Even larger and older chickens are called stewing chickens but these are no longer usually found commercially. The names reflect the most appropriate cooking method for thesurface area to volume ratio. As the size increases, the volume (which determines how much heat must enter the bird for it to be cooked) increases faster than the surface area (which determines how fast heat can enter the bird). For a fast method of cooking, such as frying, a small bird is appropriate: frying a large piece of chicken results in the inside being undercooked when the outside is ready.
Chicken is also sold broken down into pieces. Such pieces usually come from smaller birds that would qualify as fryers if sold whole. Pieces may include quarters, or fourths of the chicken. A chicken is typically cut into two leg quarters and two breast quarters. Each quarter contains two of the commonly available pieces of chicken. A leg quarter contains the thigh, drumstick and a portion of the back; a leg has the back portion removed. A breast quarter contains the breast, wing and portion of the back; a breast has the back portion and wing removed. Pieces may be sold in packages of all of the same pieces, or in combination packages. Whole chicken cut up refers to either the entire bird cut into 8 individual pieces. (8-piece cut); or sometimes without the back. A 9-piece cut (usually for fast food restaurants) has the tip of the breast cut off before splitting. Pick of the chicken, or similar titles, refers to a package with only some of the chicken pieces, typically the breasts, thighs, and legs without wings or back. Thighs and breasts are sold boneless or skinless. Chicken livers and gizzards are commonly available packaged separately. Other parts of the chicken, such as the neck, feet, combs, etc. are not widely available except in countries where they are in demand, or in cities that cater to ethnic groups who favor these parts.
Worldwide, there are manyfast foodrestaurant chains that sell exclusively or primarily poultry products includingKFC(global),Red Rooster(Australia), Hector Chicken (Belgium) andCFC(Indonesia). Most of the products on the menus in such eateries arefriedorbreadedand are served withfrench fries.
Raw chicken may containSalmonella. The safe minimum cooking temperature recommended by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is 165 °F (74 °C) to preventfoodborne illnessbecause of bacteria and parasites.However, in Japan raw chicken is sometimes consumed in a dish calledtorisashi, which is sliced raw chicken served insashimistyle. Another preparation istoriwasawhich is lightly seared on the outsides while the inside remains raw.
Chicken can be cooked in many ways. It can be made into sausages, skewered, put in salads, traditionally grilled or by using electric grill, breaded and deep-fried, or used in various curries. There is significant variation in cooking methods amongst cultures. Historically common methods includeroasting,baking,broasting, andfrying. Western cuisine frequently has chicken prepared bydeep fryingforfast foodssuch asfried chicken,chicken nuggets,chicken lollipopsorBuffalo wings. They are also often grilled for salads or tacos. Eastern cuisine has chicken prepared bymarination, especially chickenPhilippine adobo.
Chickens often come with labels such as "roaster", which suggest a method of cooking based on the type of chicken. While these labels are only suggestions, ones labeled for stew often do not do well when cooked with other methods.
Some chicken breast cuts and processed chicken breast products include the moniker "with rib meat". This is a misnomer, as it refers to the small piece of white meat that overlays the scapula, removed along with the breast meat. The breast is cut from the chicken and sold as a solid cut, while the leftover breast and true rib meat is stripped from the bone throughmechanical separationfor use in chicken franks, for example. Breast meat is often sliced thinly and marketed as chicken slices, an easy filling forsandwiches. Often, the tenderloin (pectoralis minor) is marketed separately from the breast (pectoralis major). In the US, "tenders" can be either tenderloins or strips cut from the breast. In the UK the strips of pectoralis minor are called "chicken mini-fillets".
Chicken bones are hazardous to health as they tend to break into sharp splinters when eaten, but they can be simmered with vegetables and herbs for hours or even days to makechicken stock.
In Asian countries it is possible to buy bones alone as they are very popular for making chicken soups, which are said to be healthy. In Australia the rib cages and backs of chickens after the other cuts have been removed are frequently sold cheaply in supermarket delicatessen sections as either "chicken frames" or "chicken carcasses" and are purchased for soup or stock purposes.
Raw chicken maintains its quality longer than fresh in the freezer, as moisture is lost during cooking.There is little change in nutrient value of chicken during freezer storage.For optimal quality, however, a maximum storage time in the freezer of 12 months is recommended for uncooked whole chicken, 9 months for uncooked chicken parts, 3 to 4 months for uncooked chicken giblets, and 4 months for cooked chicken.Freezing does not usually cause color changes in poultry, but the bones and the meat near them can become dark. This bone darkening results when pigment seeps through the porous bones of young poultry into the surrounding tissues when the poultrymeatis frozen and thawed.
It is safe to freeze chicken directly in its original packaging, but this type of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. Therefore, for prolonged storage, it is recommended to overwrap these packages.It is recommended to freeze unopened vacuum packages as is.If a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is still safe to use, but it is still recommended to overwrap or rewrap it.Chicken should be away from other foods, so if they begin to thaw, their juices will not drip onto other foods.If previously frozen chicken is purchased at a retail store, it can be refrozen if it has been handled properly.
Bacteria survives but does not grow in freezing temperatures. However, if frozen cooked foods are not defrosted properly and are not reheated to temperatures that kill bacteria, chances of getting a foodborne illness greatly increase.
This article incorporates text from afree contentwork. Licensed under CC BY-SA IGO 3.0 (license statement/permission). Text taken fromWorld Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023​, FAO, FAO.