How to Choose Fresh Broiler Chicken: Signs to Look For
Learn the signs of fresh broiler chicken: skin color, how the blood washes off, smell and springy texture, plus a simple fly test for formalin.
The growing number of restaurants and eateries that serve chicken as a main dish or side has pushed up market demand for chicken. Chicken is easy to cook, and it is also a source of animal protein. Prepared well, chicken can do a lot to keep the body healthy. To get chicken in good condition, you can buy fresh meat directly from a broiler farm. There you can pick the birds yourself and watch them being cleaned and dressed into carcasses. A chicken carcass is a bird that has been slaughtered, had its head, feet and organs removed, and been fully plucked.
The types of chicken most in demand on the market are broiler chicken and kampung chicken (Indonesian free-range native chicken). Broilers take relatively less time to cook than kampung chickens. Kampung chicken meat also tends to be tougher than broiler meat. Broilers are cheaper as well, which makes them a more popular choice for home cooking than kampung chickens. Farmed broilers can be harvested at 4 to 5 weeks of age, while kampung chickens are only ready at around 6 months. That is because broilers are raised to meet very large market demand, so the focus is on fast growth for an early harvest.
Also read How Successful Broiler Farmers Produce the Best-Quality Meat
Although kampung chickens can only be slaughtered once they are about 6 months old, they are relatively easier to raise than broilers. That is because kampung chickens can roam free without a coop and forage for their own food, on top of the feed the farmer provides. Broilers are different: they need the right farm management and feed to grow and produce quality meat. Their feed also has to match each stage of their development. Feed for broiler chicks usually focuses on healthy growth, while feed for mature birds supports meat development.
With good feed and good farm management, the broilers that come out of the farm will be good quality too. We should also make sure the chicken we cook comes from the best broiler farms. This ensures the meat we eat is healthy and safe for the body. To recognize good-quality fresh broiler chicken, look for the following signs when choosing broiler meat:
- The meat looks fresh, with skin that is a clean, glossy yellowish white rather than pale white. The meat itself is a deep red color, not bluish.
- Blood washes off easily when the meat is rinsed and does not stick to the skin.
- The meat does not have a strong fishy smell or a chemical smell. A strong odor usually means the meat has gone bad, and chemicals are used to make it look fresh.
- Meat from the best broiler farms is springy, and when you press it, it bounces back to its original shape. It also does not feel damp or sticky.
Flies can also be a sign of fresh broiler chicken. If flies land on the meat, you can be sure it does not contain preservatives such as formalin. That is because flies tend to stay away from food that contains formalin or borax.
