the consumption of chicken, turkey,egg,and other poultry has increased over the past several years.
the United States ranks first in poultry production in the world . Chicken meat and eggs are by far the most popular poultry
products produced. Over 50 percent of poultry. Further processing is the conversation of poultry products to convenient and more readily consumable products. today,there are over 3,000 different poultry products available to consumers.
approximately 99 percent of the broilers raised in the United States are grown under contract with large companies,and 90 percent of eggs production occurs at either company-owned operations or at farms under contract. Small poultry producers sell mostly to local retailers or directly to consumers .Recent demand for organic and free-range poultry has created a market for small producers.
many consumers have concerns about the production and processing of poultry products. One of the common public misconception is that producers feed hormones to poultry. Hormone use in poultry is illegal in the United States. In addition, there is no advantage for producer to add hormones to chicken feed.
in USDA quality grades of poultry meat are grades A,B,and C. all poultry used for human consumption in the United States must be processed ,handled ,packaged,and labeled in accordance with federal laws.
the USDA grades of eggs are AA,A,or B. When determining the grade of an egg. four part are evaluated: the shell, air cell,yolk,and white.
The color of the eggshell does not effect the egg's nutritional value,although some consumers prefer a particular color egg.
the hight percentage of egg go to breaking plants where they are separated from their shells,pasteurized, and packaged for sale. Purchasing the eggs in this manner eliminates any danger of salmonella or other contaminants. Eggs with internal defects such as blood sport are eliminated during the candling process.
breaking plants