Handling Poultry and Game Meat Safely

Introduction

Poultry and other protein such as eggs, beef, pork and lamb carry with them microorganisms that may cause harm to human health. For this reason, it is important that proper handling and safety guidelines are observed in handling poultry to minimize the risk of contamination.

Washing Poultry and Game Meat

There are microorganisms in poultry meat that can be washed off by rinsing the meat under running water. Other elements such as clot blood and pin feathers need to be removed as well. To wash meat:

Rinse the meat under running water. Do this gently to avoid contaminating the kitchen surface with microorganisms passed through water splashes.
Remove clot blood and pluck pin feathers if there any.
Tap dry the poultry meat or let it drip dry.

Washing Giblets

Giblets are variety poultry meats usually sold together with the whole carcass. Giblets include the liver, gizzard and the heart of poultry meat. These parts have certain characteristics that need to be lessened or enhanced in order to achieve the delicate and distinct flavor they have. Here the procedures for cleaning the giblets.

Wash giblets in cold water.
Spread the organs into a chopping board to remove and discard tissues and veins. For whole gizzards, cut it in half and remove the sediments inside.
Rinse the giblets.
Pat dry or let the meat to air dry.

Storing and Freezing Poultry and Game Meat

Another way of preventing contamination is by freezing the meat. This is also an effective way of extending the shelf life of poultry and game meat and preserving its desirable color, texture and scent. Here are some helpful measures for freezing and storing fresh poultry and game meat.

Labeling Poultry and Game Meat for Storage

Labels can be handwritten as long as it is legible. Labels should contain the following important information:

Name of the item
Description of the product
Date product was packed
Who packed the product
Use by date
Storage conditions

If the item was purchased from an external supplier, the label must contain the following:

Name of the processor
Contact details of the processor
Phone Number/email
Description of the product
Name of the product
Date product was packed
Who packed the product
Use by date
Storage conditions

Thawing Poultry and Game Meat

Another important measure in preventing contamination is thawing frozen meat properly. Here are important reminders when thawing frozen meat:

Minimizing Meat Wastage

The meat undergoes trimming and cutting before it is cooked. This might lead to wastage and loss of profit if not done wisely. As a kitchen staff, you should be able to look for opportunities to minimize meat wastage such as using off-cuts or the pieces of meat obtained from trimming and fabricating:

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