1. SELECTION FACTORS
• Intended Use
• Exact Name
• US Government Grades
• Organic and Natural Poultry
• Packers’ Brands
• Product Size
• Product Yield
• Size of Container
• Type of Packing Material
• Packaging Procedures
• Product Form
• Preservation Method
• AP Price
• Trust the Supplier

2. Intended Use
• Take into account what the item is used for as
well as shelf-life
• Substitution possibilities for lesser quality/
cheaper options

3. Exact Name
• Specific type, quality, style of product
• Standards of identity established by the government, based
on age and sex of bird
• Younger birds are more tender but older birds have more
fat (more flavor)
• Free range
• Kosher

4. US Government Grades
• 1957 Poultry Products Inspection Act
– All poultry products for human consumption are
processed in sanitary conditions
• Wholesome Poultry Act of 1968
– States that have inspections must at least be equal to
the federal inspection process
• FSIS is division of USDA- they perform all
inspections and grading of poultry
– Grading not mandatory
– Grades A,B,C
• Procurement grades used to describe edible yield

5. Organic and Natural Poultry
• Organic: “The USDA organic seal verifies that
producers met animal health and welfare
standards, did not use antibiotics or growth
hormones, used 100% organic feed, and
provided animals with access to the outdoors
• Natural: “- A product containing no artificial
ingredient or added color and is only minimally
processed. Minimal processing means that the
product was processed in a manner that does
not fundamentally alter the product. The label
must include a statement explaining the
meaning of the term natural (such as "no
artificial ingredients; minimally processed")

6. Packers’ Brands
• Do not play a huge role in poultry purchasing,
only a few are
• A few companies try to draw people through
brand loyalty (Tyson, Purdue etc.)
• Other companies try to differentiate themselves
with processing, preservation or other packing
methods
• Mostly packers’ brands are aimed at customers in
a retail location in poultry industry

7. Product Size
• Product weight is more appropriate for fresh
and frozen poultry purchasing
• Buyer must specify acceptable weight range
for the product
• If buying processed products size may be
applicable

8. Product Yield
• Equivalent to edible yield
• Buyer must specify amount of product yield
when ordering
• Buyer needs to take into account what
product they are buying since some products
automatically have a smaller yield than others
(whole bird vs. boneless breast)

9. Size of Container
• Buyers need to specify size of packaging they
prefer for each product
• Includes individual product package as well as
# of individual packages in a larger package
• May need to include weight measurements

10. Type of Packing Material
• For fresh products options include product
wrapped in butcher paper or cellophane,
packed in plastic container
• Buyers will want to inspect individual
packages upon delivery to make sure that they
are all intact

11. Packaging Procedures
• Ice-pack: slab-packed with ice covering the top
• Cello-pack: product surrounded in clear plastic
• Gas-flushed packing: product placed in a bag,
air pushed out of bag with CO2
• Marinade packing: each product placed in its
own container, marinade poured over it and
sealed
• Snap/Shatter pack: Individually Quick Frozen,
product is frozen and layered inside of case

12. Product Form
• The way the product is cut or processed
• Almost infinite number of product forms for
poultry
• Some common forms: whole bird, chicken
breasts, legs, wings, thighs etc.
• Usually the more processed the product is the
higher the AP price is

13. Most Common Product Forms
Chicken breast Chicken legs Chicken thigh
Chicken wings Whole chicken

14. Preservation Method
• Most poultry is refrigerated or frozen
• Refrigeration is preferred because freezing
can cause freezer burn or loss of moisture
and flavor
• Irradiation: removes most of bacteria that is
harmful to humans
– Not commonly used because of controversy
over safety of method and preservation of
nutritional value
• Processed poultry is usually frozen but can
be canned as well

15. AP Price
• Does not vary much because of lack of
differences in product between suppliers
• Can differ because of distance the product has
to travel from supplier to buyer
• More predictable than other products’ AP
price because poultry is easy to produce
• AP price for processed foods can vary greatly
so buyers may consider long term contracts to
help keep price down

16. Trusting the Supplier
• Buyers have many options so they do not
need to commit to a supplier
• In the long run most buyers do form a long
term relationship with a supplier because they
will become accustomed with the supplier and
their procedures etc.

17. Product Storage Procedures
• Upon delivery, immediately move
shipment into storage facility meeting the
requirements of temp. and humidity
• The proper storage temp. for fresh poultry
is 28-29˚ F so ice-pack is usually used to
maintain this temp.
• Marinating and precooking are methods of
extending the shelf life of poultry
• To avoid cross contamination poultry
should be stored away from foods that will
not be cooked before serving
• Short shelf-life so proper storage is important
• Poultry should be placed on the lowest shelf of a
shelving unit because it has the highest cooking
temperature