What is poultry processing?

Poultry processing is the preparation of meat from various types of fowl for human consumption. This involves a series of steps, beginning with preslaughter handling to empty the digestive tracts of the birds, reducing contamination risk. Birds are then typically stunned, usually with an electric current, before being killed by cutting major blood vessels in the neck. Following slaughter, carcasses are scalded to soften the skin for feather removal, then defeathered mechanically. Heads and legs are removed, and the birds undergo evisceration and inspection to ensure wholesomeness. Finally, carcasses are chilled, either in water or air, before being packaged as raw or further processed into various products. Poultry is a significant source of protein, with chickens and turkeys being the most common, but ducks, geese, and other birds are also processed for meat.

Why do people process poultry?

Poultry processing is the preparation of meat from various types of fowl for human consumption. Poultry is a significant source of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals in the diet. The industry has developed highly efficient production systems, leading to a substantial increase in poultry consumption. Common sources of poultry meat include chickens and turkeys, as well as ducks, geese, pigeons, quails, pheasants, ostriches, and emus. The processing ensures that this valuable food source is safely prepared for consumers.

What are the main steps in processing poultry?

The main steps in poultry processing involve several stages to prepare fowl for consumption. Initially, birds undergo preslaughter handling, which includes taking them off feed and water to empty their digestive tracts. They are then transported to the slaughterhouse and typically stunned using an electric current to induce unconsciousness. Following stunning, the birds are killed by cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries. The next steps involve scalding the carcasses in hot water to soften the skin, followed by mechanical defeathering. Heads and legs are then removed. Evisceration, the removal of internal organs, is performed, and the carcasses are inspected for wholesomeness. Finally, the poultry is chilled, either through water or air chilling, to a temperature below 4°C (40°F) before packaging and distribution.

How is poultry kept clean and safe during processing?

Poultry processing facilities maintain cleanliness and safety through rigorous procedures. Potential contamination is minimized by emptying birds' digestive tracts before slaughter and by separating scalding and defeathering from evisceration with walls. During processing, equipment is cleaned thoroughly, and potable water is used throughout. Inspection is mandatory, with government officials or plant personnel overseeing antemortem and postmortem examinations, as well as reinspection during processing. Sanitation is maintained for all surfaces, equipment, and personnel that come into contact with food products. Additionally, programs like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) identify and mitigate risks of microbial contamination at critical stages.

What machines or tools are commonly used in poultry processing?

In poultry processing, a variety of machines and tools are employed to prepare fowl for consumption. Key equipment includes electric water baths for stunning birds, mechanical rotary knives for severing blood vessels, and specialized feather-picking machines equipped with rubber "fingers". For waterfowl, a wax-dipping process is used to aid feather removal. Automated production lines, a form of fixed automation, connect workstations with transfer systems to move carcasses efficiently through processes like head and leg removal, evisceration, and inspection. Both water chilling and air chilling systems are used to cool the processed birds.

How does poultry processing affect the quality and safety of the meat we eat?

Poultry processing is crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of the meat consumed. During processing, potential contamination from microorganisms like Salmonella can occur through contact with intestinal contents or contaminated equipment. Strict regulations, proper handling, and adequate cooking are vital to prevent microbial contamination. Preslaughter handling also impacts meat quality. Stress on the birds can lead to undesirable changes in the meat, such as pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat, which has reduced water-holding capacity. Therefore, minimizing stress through careful handling and maintaining appropriate temperatures is essential. Meat inspection programs, like those in the United States administered by the USDA-FSIS, are mandatory to guarantee the wholesomeness, safety, and accurate labeling of poultry products. These programs include antemortem and postmortem inspections, as well as monitoring for harmful residues.

Poultry processing

food processing

Written by

R. Paul SinghAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 4, 2026 •History

Characteristics of poultry

Poultry is derived from the skeletal muscles of various birds and is a good source of protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals in the diet.

Classification of birds

Birds bred for poultry production are generally grown for a particular amount of time or until they reach a specific weight. Rock Cornish hens, narrowly defined, are a hybrid cross specifically bred to produce small roasters; in the marketplace, however, the term is used to denote a small bird, five to six weeks old, that is often served whole and stuffed. Seven-week-old chickens are classified as broilers or fryers, and those that are 14 weeks old as roasters.

Fat content

The fat content of poultry differs in several ways from that found in red meat. Poultry has a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids compared with saturated fatty acids. Both turkey and chicken contain about 30 percent saturated, 43 percent monounsaturated, and 22 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. The high levels of unsaturated fatty acids make poultry more susceptible to rancidity through the oxidation of the double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids, on the other hand, do not contain double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains and are resistant to oxidation. However, this fatty acid ratio has led to the suggestion that poultry may be a more healthful alternative to red meat.

In birds fat is primarily deposited under the skin or in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, a significant amount of the fat can be removed from poultry by removing the skin before eating.

Microbial contamination

Poultry provides an excellent medium for the growth of microorganisms. The principal spoilage bacteria found on poultry include Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Acinetobacter, and Moraxella. In addition, poultry often supports the growth of certain pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria, such as Salmonella.

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Potential causes of contamination of poultry during the slaughtering and processing procedures include contact of the carcass with body parts that contain a high microbial load (e.g., feathers, feet, intestinal contents), use of contaminated equipment, and physical manipulation of the meat (e.g., deboning, grinding). Prevention of microbial contamination involves careful regulation and monitoring of the slaughtering and processing plants, proper handling and storage, and adequate cooking of raw and processed poultry products.

Slaughtering procedures

Preslaughter handling

When the birds have reached “harvest” time, they are generally taken off of feed and water. This allows their digestive tracts to empty and reduces the potential for contamination during processing.

At night the birds are caught by specially trained crews and placed into plastic or wooden transport cages. The birds are then transported to the slaughterhouse, where the trucks are often kept between sets of fans to ventilate the cages.

In the next step the birds are removed from the cages and transferred to continuously moving shackles where they are suspended by both legs. The transfer is often done in a dark room illuminated by a red light; the birds are not sensitive to the red light and this helps to keep them calm.

The handling and transfer of birds both on the farm and at the slaughterhouse can be stressful. Stress can have negative effects on the quality of the final meat product, and therefore efforts are constantly being made to improve the preslaughter processes.

Slaughtering

Stunning and killing

After the birds have been transferred to the moving shackles, they are usually stunned by running their heads through a water bath that conducts an electric current. Stunning produces unconsciousness, but it does not kill the birds. The birds are killed either by hand or by a mechanical rotary knife that cuts the jugular veins and the carotid arteries at the neck. Any birds not killed by the machine are quickly killed by a person with a knife assigned to the bleed area. The birds are permitted to bleed for a fixed amount of time, depending on size and species (e.g., 1 1/2 minutes for broilers). Any bird that is not properly bled will be noticeably redder after feather removal and will be condemned.

Scalding

Following bleeding, the birds go through scalding tanks. These tanks contain hot water that softens the skin so that the feathers can be removed. The temperature of the water is carefully controlled. If retention of the yellow skin colour is desired, a soft-scald is used (about 50 °C, or 122 °F). If a white bird is desired, a higher scald temperature is used, resulting in the removal of the yellow pellicle. Turkeys and spent hens (egg-laying birds that have finished their laying cycles) are generally run at higher temperatures—59 to 60 °C (138 to 140 °F).