Q. Explain Spoilage of Poultry and Poultry Products?

Poultry meat is the muscle tissue of chicken, ducks, turkey etc. The reference to poultry meat generally is the 'dressed chicken'. It is similarly considered along with the other meats. The spoilage organisms involved also follow more or less the same pattern. After processing, like evisceration (removal of the parts), the meat is generally stored under chill conditions. Under this storage temperature, the bacterial growth in poultry meat takes place on the surface. Once the spoilage takes place, off-odours are initially noticed and then followed by slime formation. Species belonging to Pseudomonas are the primary spoilage organisms in the meat held at 10°C or less. Above 10°C, Micrococci, Alcaligenes and Flavobacterium also grow.