Chicken Meat: From Production to Consumption
In this article, we will explain the various stages of chicken meat production, including raising chickens, slaughtering, packaging, and consumption, to help you better understand these processes.
Chicken Meat Production
Obtaining Day-Old Chicks:
Day-old chicks are produced under the supervision of veterinary health officials, with health certificates issued and transported to broiler farms.Raising Day-Old Chicks:
During the 42-55 day rearing period, all vaccination and treatment processes are conducted under the supervision of experienced veterinarians.Loading and Transporting to the Slaughterhouse:
Chickens are transported to poultry slaughterhouses in specialized vehicles and cages holding 8-10 birds per cage in the shortest possible time. To reduce stress and mortality, loading is carried out in darkness.
Slaughterhouse Process
Unloading:
The unloading process is conducted under the complete supervision of the technical veterinary health team at the slaughterhouse, consisting of a veterinarian and two veterinary technicians. All stages, including slaughtering, defeathering, washing, cooling, pre-cooling, packaging, placing in crates, transferring to cold storage, and loading, are conducted under supervision.Types of Chicken Available:
Chickens are offered in two forms:- Freshly packaged chicken
- Frozen packaged chicken
Slaughtering Process:
Live poultry is slaughtered by trained personnel in compliance with Islamic rituals. This process is continuously supervised by the Office of the Representative of the Supreme Leader and the Veterinary Organization.
Slaughter Line:
After slaughter and complete blood drainage, chickens are placed in 44-57°C water to prepare for defeathering. Experienced workers then remove edible and non-edible organs through an abdominal incision.Inspection:
The technical veterinary officer inspects each chicken carcass individually. Chickens that are underweight or show signs of illness are removed from the slaughter line. If necessary, carcasses requiring correction are adjusted.Chilling Process:
Chicken carcasses are placed in the first chiller, which cleans the carcass with water at 15°C for 10 minutes. They are then transferred to the second chiller containing ice water at 0-4°C. This reduces the surface temperature of the carcass to 4°C.Post-Chilling Process:
After chilling, the carcasses are placed on a drip line for 90 minutes to remove excess water and simultaneously cool the carcass. The carcasses are then placed on special racks and moved to pre-cooling chambers with a temperature of 0°C, ensuring the carcass surface reaches 0°C.
Packaging and Distribution of Chicken Meat
Packaging:
Chickens are moved from the pre-cooling chamber to the packaging room, where they are packed in labeled plastic bags containing complete information, such as:- Name of the slaughterhouse
- Production date
- Best-before date (48 hours after production)
- Storage temperature (0-4°C)
- Address and phone number of the slaughterhouse
- Under the supervision of the Veterinary Organization
- Type of chicken (broiler, layer, or breeder)
Note: Layer and breeder chickens are not sold fresh but are frozen and used for industrial purposes (e.g., sausages and cold cuts). To prevent spoilage, chickens must be produced, packaged, transported, and sold at a temperature of 0-4°C. Any temperature loss during the slaughter, transportation, or sale stages can cause water loss from tissues, leading to bloodstains in the plastic and accelerated spoilage. Therefore, maintaining a temperature of 0-4°C is essential at all stages.
Pre-Cooling and Storage:
After packaging, chickens are placed in 8-10 chicken crates and stored in pre-cooling chambers until transport. The pre-cooling chambers are set to ensure the chicken muscle temperature reaches 0-2°C.Transportation:
Vehicles transporting raw poultry products, such as chicken, must be licensed by the Provincial Veterinary Department. Vehicles pre-cool their containers to 0-2°C before loading the packaged chickens. Veterinary officials supervise the loading process, ensuring the temperature of the chicken (0-2°C) is maintained, and issue a hygiene certificate for transport. For shipments to other provinces or neighboring counties, health certificates are issued by local veterinary networks.Excess Chicken Production:
If there is surplus chicken production in a province:- Chickens with suitable weight are packed in Arta Protein-labeled plastic bags and labeled as frozen broiler chicken, with an expiration date of one year after production.
- For layer or breeder chickens, the label specifies “frozen layer or breeder chicken.”
- Chickens are placed on racks and moved to freezing tunnels with temperatures of -35°C to -40°C. Within six hours, the muscle temperature must reach below -18°C. The freezing speed significantly affects quality preservation.
- Frozen packaged chickens are then shrink-wrapped, labeled with production details, and stored in -18°C cold storage rooms.
- Veterinary officials sample products for quality control and test them in laboratories. The carcass temperature is measured using specialized thermometers and must meet the standard of below -12°C.
- Frozen chickens are transported in refrigerated vehicles maintaining -18°C. Veterinary officials monitor all stages to ensure compliance with health regulations.
Chicken Meat Consumption
Frozen Chicken:
Consumers should store frozen chicken at home in freezers with a temperature of -18°C. The chicken remains consumable for one year, provided it is stored correctly.
To prepare for consumption, frozen chicken should be removed from the plastic, placed in a sealed container, and thawed in a refrigerator at 4°C. Avoid thawing frozen chicken on stoves or refreezing it.
Freshly Packaged Chicken:
After purchasing fresh chicken, bring it home promptly, remove it from the plastic, and prepare it for cooking or freezing. Store fresh chicken in a refrigerator with a temperature of 0-4°C. If freezing is necessary, pack the chicken appropriately and store it in a freezer at -30°C, maintaining a temperature of -18°C.
For prolonged preservation, label the chicken with the freezing and production dates and ensure it is consumed before the expiration date.
- Public Relations Office of the Arta Joojeh Sabalan Integrated Poultry Meat Production Chain