Know about the nutritional aspects, selection, storage and safety concerns of Poultry.
Nutrition
Domestic birds that are consumed is defined as Poultry. Poultries are excellent in protein. It’s also a good source of phosphorus, zinc and an excellent source of niacin.
Speaking of fat content, most fat in poultries come from its skin. If you remove the skin while eating, you can easily reduce a significant amount of fat in poultry. However, cooking the meat with or without the skin, makes no difference in fat content. Among poultries, Goose and Duck are the fattiest types.
Selection
When buying poultry, always select meat that are moist and supple. Free range chickens are healthier than Broiler ones. Broiler chickens in supermarkets are often packed in plastic bags and come with expiry dates, so check on that if you’re buying.
Always avoid dried out meat and meat that are frozen. Because frozen and thawed meat are mostly very dried out and you can identify that by noticing a pinkish ice on its surface.
Another thing to notice is odour. If the poultry smell is displeasing or objectionable, do not buy.
Storage
Store poultry in a way that even when over-frozen, it doesn’t get freezer burns. This can be dealt with by using freezer bags and airtight foils. If you purchase poultry as a whole, you can store it for up to 1 year. But when you purchase it as parts, storage time is limited to 6-9 months.
Keep your poultry refrigerated at 40° Fahrenheit or 4° Celsius.
Another thing to be noted is thawing. Always defrost poultry in the refrigerator. Thawing is warming up or defrosting frozen foods.
Refrigerated poultry should be cooked within 2-3 days.
Safety concerns
Poultries are a concern when it comes to food borne diseases. Salmonella and Campylobacter are the general microorganisms that can contaminate the meat. To avoid that, cook meat thoroughly. Semi cooked meat can easily harbour microorganisms.
Meat should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 180° Fahrenheit or 82° Celsius. Inside of your meat should be white and not pink.
When talking about pathogens, Salmonella bacterium causes vomiting and diarrhoea when it contaminates. Campylobacter causes diarrhoea and stomach cramping on contamination.
Store meat in separate bags. Avoid contact of raw meat with other foods in the refrigerator and also when buying from the store. Water dripping water off poultry and even its odour can contaminate other foods, so store it carefully.
Even at home, use separate utensils and cutting boards when dealing with raw meat and disinfect those utensils after. Wash your hands for 15 seconds in soap after contacting with the raw meat.
Consider all these points when it comes to poultry and its selection and storage.
Enlighten me with your poultry considerations in the comment below.
Reference:
Murdock. D. H. Encylopedia of Foods. A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. (2002). Dole Food Company inc. San Diego, California. Part II, high protein foods, Pg. 292.
**images including cover image are from Unsplash and Pixabay
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