here's Jack contribution for Sunday. Sorry we didn't do this in time for that meeting. mea culpa :-(

1. Overview of Chicken - Farm to Plate FLL Team Lego Project Research – Jack Hinkle 9/30/11

2. Vocabulary Dietary Restriction – changing the diet to make an animal or human healthier. Slaughter – to kill. In most slaughter houses this is done as humanely as possible and the actual act of slaughter is done by a machine. Pluck - to remove feathers Eviscerate– to remove the organs of a creature Refrigerated trucks – trucks whose cargo sections is one big refrigerator Salmonella - bacteria are the most frequently reported cause of food borne illness. In order to reduce salmonellosis, a comprehensive farm-to-table approach to food safety is necessary. Fillers – products added to beef up meat. It can include both leftover meat parts called MDM (Mechanically deboned meat) and other products not made of meat. Stabilizers – chemicals added to meats to make sure they look good in the grocery store Consume – to eat

3. Chicken Meat Processing Step by Step Slaughter Plucking Evisceration & Cleanup Rinsing Chilling Refrigerator Trucks Consume within 14 days

4. Slaughter

5. Pluck

6. Eviscerate

7. Rinse

8. Chill and Deliver to Stores

9. Consume within 14 Days

10. Problems with Chicken Consumption Previously chickens ate bugs and worms. In today’s processing plants chickens only eat corn. This leads to a less nutritious chicken for us to consume. Lazy and careless workers can lead to contamination. Sometimes the delivery trucks can take up to 7 days to get to stores. It could sit on the shelf too long at the store. It could get too warm on refrigeration shelf in the store. Shoppers might delay putting their groceries away causing the meat to get to warm. Packages sometimes leak. If it is sitting on the counter it can cause cross contamination of other foods.

11. The USDA’s Take on Responsibility This is the link to the USDA website instructions about safe handling of raw chicken. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/salmonella_questions_&_answers/index.asp The USDA places the responsibility on citizens to make sure that they remain healthy through proper handling. This is problematic as not everyone is educated.

12. Possible Problems/Solution for Team Lego’s Project Problem: Food not cooked well enough. Solution: Heat seeking oven that will tell when the internal temperature of the chicken is high enough that it is safe to eat. Problem: People not seeing and cleaning up germs on countertop. Solution: Countertops with luminol imbedded in it and special UV lights for cleanup. Problem: Baggers at stores often put food meant to be consumed raw with raw meats. Solution: Color coded packaging so that baggers know they have to put like products in color specific bags. Our team could come up with lots of other ideas but we should focus on the consumer end of the experience. The farming and processing is so complex, macbreand controversial that it could be inappropriate and tough to tackle.

13. Additional Reading & Links Recommended Links http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/lifestyle/food-drink/egg-plate-where-your-chicken-comes http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/salmonella_questions_&_answers/index.asp Additional Reading “The Ominivore’sDilema” by Michael Pollan “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan

14. Hope You Enjoyed the Show Hope You Enjoyed the Show Have a good day Have a good day By the way this message is for Miss Kathryn: “the answer to the universe is written in 30 foot high letters of fire on top of the QuentulusQuazgar Mountains in tthe land of Sevorbeupstry on the planet Preliumtarn, third out from the sun Zarss in Galactic Sector QQ7 ActiveJ Gamma. it is guarded by the LajesticVantrashell of Lob."