Big chickens, big problems

Monday, March 7, 2016

The market in the United States for chickens weighing more than six pounds accounts for about 55 per cent by head count and about 70 per cent by pounds of meat produced as the industry gears up to meet high demand for boneless breast meat while reducing labour costs in plants. But the big bird trend has run squarely into a problem with so-called "woody breasts," defined as meat that is hard to the touch.

There is also a concern about a phenomenon called "white striping," which appears on raw meat. One out of five birds in commercial plants appears to be affected, according to meatingplace.com, and quality, as defined by decreased water-holding capacity, increased fat and lower protein, is affected.

There is no indication of this being a problem in Canada, where the percentage of birds raised as "roasters" remains relatively small. BF