Using Poultry Color Measurements to Determine Freshness

When you shop for raw chicken, what color are you looking for? Most likely, you want to walk out of the store with bright pink chicken, indicating a fresh piece of poultry that's healthy and ready to be cooked. When color is such an integral part of how consumers determine poultry freshness, understanding color as a manufacturer can help you promote consistent color and drive more sales.

What Causes Changes in Poultry Color?

The color of poultry and other raw meats is primarily determined by the meat's myoglobin levels. This protein turns red when exposed to oxygen, and over time, as exposure continues, the color can fade or darken. This is normal and natural and does not necessarily indicate your poultry has spoiled.

While myoglobin is what gives poultry that pink color, most chicken has some variation in color due to factors like the source's sex, diet, species, and activity level. Even the same animal can produce meat in a variety of colors.

Can Poultry Be Pink and Safe to Eat?

While pink chicken is generally something people try to avoid, there are cases where pink poultry does not indicate rawness. During the cooking process, chemical reactions between myoglobin and the heat source, as well as certain preservatives, can give poultry tissue a permanent pink tinge. As long as the chicken reaches an internal measurement of at least 165 °F, the chicken is considered fully cooked, making the pink part of a reaction instead of an indication of rawness.

Food Safety With Poultry

Whatever the color of your poultry, following food safety guidelines is always the best way to maintain freshness for as long as possible. Be sure to follow these guidelines to keep your staff and consumers safe:

• Clean anything that touches raw meat with hot, soapy water in between handlings.
• Keep your raw poultry and any tools you use with it separate from all other products.
• If cooking poultry, ensure it's cooked through to 165 °F and verify with a food thermometer.

Signs Your Poultry Has Gone Bad

While discoloration is not always a sign of poultry going bad, it can be when paired with these other signs:

• The color is very gray and the fat parts have grown bright yellow spots.
• The poultry has a strong, sour smell.
• The poultry is very slimy and tacky to the touch.
• The poultry is more than two days past its expiration date.
• The poultry has been stored at temperatures above 40 °F.

Know Your Poultry With HunterLab Equipment

When it comes to meat freshness, color measurement is one of many tools you can use to ensure consumer satisfaction. Maintain as much consistency in your brand's results as possible by requesting a quote on MiniScan EZ 4500 from HunterLab, our portable solution for accurate poultry color.