In my last blog here at Meatingplace, I wrote about why Costco sells so much meat. I mentioned that Costco sells air-chilled chicken, and I had a reader ask me what exactly air-chilled chicken means.

I’ve never worked in a chicken slaughter facility, only at beef and pork plants, and those poultry plants that further processed whole chicken carcasses. Since I’ve only visited chicken slaughter plants a few times in my career, I thought I’d ask the readers here on Meatingplace about this topic. I am not an expert on this topic, but I am sure that some of you reading this are.

At the chicken processing plants I’ve visited in the Southern U.S., all used the water-chilled method of cooling down the carcasses. My observation was that the water bath was clean when the shift starts, but quicky becomes brackish and contaminated with feathers, dirt and blood.

Here are some questions I have for those who know:

1. How often is the chilling-water changed?

2. What sort of sanitizer is used to keep the water clean? Is it bleach?

3. I’ve heard that there’s 10 times more bleach (or sanitizer) in this water than in a public swimming pool. Is that accurate?

Water-chilled chicken labels have a declaration on them that says something like, “May contain up to 5% added water.” This added water is apparently absorbed from the water-chilled cooling process. According to the USDA directive on retained water, “The amount of water retained in the product in excess of naturally occurring moisture must be prominently declared on the label.”

For the poultry experts out there, I’d like to know:

1. Does research show that the retained water affects the flavor of the meat?

2. When the meat is frozen, then thawed and cooked, does the retained water in the meat affect the meat tenderness? Does the meat purge more than air-chilled chicken?

3. Are there discernable differences in blind taste tests between water-chilled and air-chilled?

4. Why is the air-chilled method not used for turkeys? Or is it? I’ve yet to see a label on a whole bird turkey that says, ‘air-chilled.’

Two years ago, I visited a large poultry plant that uses the air-chilled method. This method seems to be a much better way to cool down the carcasses as the birds are not in a water bath. Instead of water, super cold air is moved with high-speed fans. The wind inside the air-chilled room is so fast it can blow the hard-hat right off your head!

I’ve heard some in the chicken industry say that the water-chilled method is safe, efficient and keeps chicken prices down. If the entire industry went to air-chilled, chicken would cost more for everyone. That sounds logical, but how much would it actually add to the cost? And my next question is this: If it’s so safe and efficient, why does the E.U. not allow water-chilled chicken to be sold there?

What are your thoughts and experiences with air-chilled chicken?

Air-Chilled Chicken: Is it better?

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