Poultry & Poultry Products

DEFINITION

Poultry and derived products are defined as the edible tissues (muscle, skin, fat, and connective tissue) of farmed birds—primarily Gallus gallus (chicken) and Meleagris gallopavo (turkey). Following Codex Alimentarius (CXS 78-1981) [1] and EU Regulation 853/2004 [2], these are categorized by processing level:

• Fresh Poultry Meat: Meat that has not undergone any preserving process other than chilling, freezing, or quick-freezing.
• Poultry Preparations: Fresh meat with added ingredients (e.g., marinades, breading) that do not change the internal muscle structure (e.g., raw nuggets, marinated wings).
• Derived (Processed) Products: Products where heat treatment, smoking, or curing has altered the fresh meat characteristics (e.g., deli turkey, fully cooked strips).

Hazard-Focused Framework:

• Microbiological: Targets enteric pathogens introduced during evisceration and defeathering [3].
• Chemical: Focused on veterinary drug residues (antibiotics) and environmental contaminants (dioxins/PFAS) [4], [5].
• Physical: Targeted at mechanical separation hazards, specifically bone fragments and metal [6].
• Allergen: Focused on compound ingredients (soy, mustard, gluten) in breading, brines, or marinades [7].