U.S.A. Poultry Middle East

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What do you really know about chicken? Test your knowledge with these fascinating chicken facts.

A chickens' body temperature normally runs at 102-103 degrees F.
A chickens' heart beats 280-315 times a minute.
A rooster takes 18-20 breaths a minute, a hen 30-35.
Although chicken are birds, they are not capable of sustained flight.
It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg and an egg 21 days to hatch.
A chicken can have 4 or 5 toes on each foot.
There are over 150 varieties of domestic chickens.
Chickens were domesticated about 8000 years ago.
Chickens come in an infinite variety of colors and patterns.
The chicken was once considered a sacred animal symbolizing the sun.
Chickens lay different colored eggs, from white, to brown, to green, to pink, to blue.
A hen lives an average of 5-7 years, but can live up to 20 years.
On average, a hen lays 300 eggs per year.
A mother hen turns her egg approximately 50 times in a day. This is so the yolk does not stick to the shell.
A chicken with red earlobes will produce brown eggs, and a chicken with white earlobes will produce white eggs.
A chicken is 75% water.
Alektorophobia is the name given to "The Fear of Chickens".
To produce a dozen eggs, a hen has to eat about four pounds of feed.
The largest chicken egg ever laid weighed a pound and had a double yolk and shell.
Hens will produce larger but fewer eggs as they grow older.
A chicken loses its feathers when it becomes stressed.
One trait, called Melanosis, causes chickens' bones, ligaments, skin and tendons to be colored BLACK.
World Chicken populations: (2000, AMI)
• China - 3.6 billions • US - 1.7 billions • Indonesia - 1 billions • Brazil - 950 millions • Mexico - 476 millions

U.S. chicken parts can be prepared in a vast array of methods: broiling, grilling, roasting, stewing, poaching, sautéing or pan-broiling. They also perfectly pair with different ingredients to create flavorful and balanced dishes.

But what can you do to get a little more out of U.S. chicken parts and make them even more special? Rubs and marinades can be your answer; they will open up a world of creative flavor options for you to enjoy.

Seasoning rubs add special flavor and appeal to any type of chicken parts. Rubs usually contain herbs, spices and sometimes oil. To make a rub, mix all its ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Spread or pat on chicken just before cooking or up to 5 hours in advance.

Marinades help tenderize the meat and give it a bold flavor. A marinade should contain an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt. To make a marinade, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly to blend. Add to the chicken, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Remember that for meat safety reasons marinating should never be at room temperature.

Rubs Ingredients

Marinades Ingredients

Any combination of the following:

Salt, pepper, black pepper, peppercorn, parsley, coriander, masala, allspice, curry, olive oil, mint, basil, garlic, lemon, orange, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, mustard, cayenne, turmeric, saffron, bay, paprika, sesame seeds, sumac, etc..

Any combination of the following:

olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, yogurt, spices, sugar and brown sugar, butter, garlic, onion, flour, tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato juice, orange juice, soya sauce, ginger, salt, milk, citrus peel, thyme, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, tabasco, molasses, etc..

U.S. poultry industry sets the standards for production safety and hygiene. All U.S. poultry products are monitored closely, inspected and graded following governmental rules and regulations. However, these safety measures end the minute meat enters your home. All meats are exposed to bacterial contamination which might have serious effects on our health. There are several steps set by the USDA to ensure and maintain the safety of U.S. poultry at home.

Start by Shopping Right
. Purchase refrigerated or frozen poultry after selecting your non-perishables.
. Make sure that the packaging is not torn or leaking and always check out the expiration date.
Right Storage is Essential
. Always refrigerate poultry within 2 hours of purchasing at a temperature of 40 °F or below.
. Wrap poultry securely to maintain quality and to prevent meat juices from getting onto other food.
Thawing and Marinating
. The best way to thaw poultry is inside the refrigerator. When thawing in cold water or inside the microwave, make sure to cook poultry directly after thawing.
. Marinate poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator, and not at room temperature.

Safe Handling = Safe Food
. Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling meats.
. Don't cross-contaminate. Use a separate cutting board and utensils for meats and other foods.
. Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be sanitized by using a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.

Use the Meat Thermometer
. Cook whole chicken and turkey that contain bones to 180° F, bone-in parts to 170° F and boneless parts to 160° F.

What to do with leftovers?
. Discard poultry if it has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
. Place leftovers into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.
. Poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.

Eggshell Mosaic:
1. Peel off the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Separate the shells into several piles.

2. Color each pile of shells differently, let them dry then place each pile into tightly secured plastic bag. Crush the shells using a spoon or fist.

3. Draw a picture on a piece of paper and glue on the colored eggshells mosaic-style.

Rubber-band Wrapped Eggs:
1. Just wrap a hard-boiled egg with rubber bands before placing it in a container of dye.

2. Remove the egg when it reaches the shade you prefer.

3. Let it dry then remove the rubber bands. Or, to give your egg a few different shades, take off only some of the bands before dyeing the egg in a second color.

Eggshell Bouquet:
1. Crack hard-boiled eggs in half and gently break off pieces to get a flower shape.

2. To make the stem, roll one end of the floral wire into a spiral and glue to the base of the flower. Stand flowers upside down while the glue hardens (about 30 minutes).

3. Paint stripes of color on the flowers by starting at the center of the egg and pulling the brush to the edge.

What is the proper way to cook U.S. whole turkey for the holidays?

The first step is the right thawing: in the refrigerator. Clean, rinse and stuff the turkey with your choice of meats, vegetables, nuts..etc. Place the turkey inside a shallow roasting pan and cover its top with foil. Roast for 3-4 hours at a temperature of 325 0F. Remove foil during the last 1 hour of roasting. Remove from oven when meat thermometer reads 170 0F in the thigh. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Are you eating enough protein every day?

The new food pyramid allows you to calculate the ounces of meat or beans you need according to your age, sex and activity level. You can create a personalized eating plan. The new pyramid uses the term “ounce equivalents” when suggesting amounts of meat or beans to consume. All of these count as “ounce equivalents” of meat or beans:

- 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish

- ¼ cup of cooked dry beans

- 1 egg

- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

- ½ ounce of nuts or seeds

Protein is important to have in your diet because it plays a part in the health and maintenance of the body. Choosing proteins that are lean and low in cholesterol will give you the needed nutrients without the extra fat.

Consider these tips

Keep choices lean by trimming away all visible fat from meat and poultry and removing chicken skin before cooking.

Broil, grill, roast, poach or boil foods instead of frying them and drain off any fat that may appear.

Skip or reduce the amount of breading on meats, poultry or fish because it adds fat and calories and causes the food to soak up more fat if frying.

Skip or reduce the amount of high-fat sauces or gravies added to meat.

Prepare beans and peas without adding extra fat.

U.S. Chicken… Nutrient-Generous and Flavorful

Healthy eating plays an essential role in maintaining daily vitality and energy. And when it comes to nutrition, some foods have just a little more to offer. U.S. chicken fits in the healthy and balanced diets where low fat low calorie foods are required.

U.S. chicken is a nutrient-rich food that contains essential substances such as protein, zinc, iron and B-vitamins, which all provide the body with the energy and strength it needs all day.

- Zinc is highly important for essential functions such as growth and development, maintaining the body’s immune system and aiding wound healing and appetite control.

- Iron assists in making new red blood cells and supports brain development. The iron in chicken is more completely absorbed by the body than the iron found in grains and vegetables.

- Protein plays many roles in supporting all the body's functions, including making up the hormones and enzymes that regulate body processes, building the immune system and maintaining muscle mass.

- B-vitamins work to promote growth and maintain nervous and blood cells.

U.S. chicken tastes great when boiled, grilled, roasted or micro-waved, offering a new and unique flavor especially when marinated or rubbed with herbs and spices. It also complies well with a wide collection of basic foods including vegetables, rice, pasta, grains and others. To maintain U.S. chicken's safety upon its preparation, make sure to cook it to a high temperature not less than 165 oF (74 oC) to eliminate the risk of bacterial infection.

Enjoy new cooking horizons with U.S. chicken healthy, nutritious recipes. It's your ticket to tackle today's hectic lifestyles.

U.S. Eggs: Safety and Sound Nutrition

U.S. eggs are distinguished from others by the high quality standards followed all the way starting from production to the meticulous cleaning, cooling, grading, packaging and distribution. Food safety is one additional characteristic guaranteed by U.S. eggs because eggs undergo strict supervision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors to assure that they are wholesome and safe to consume.

Soft, delicious U.S. eggs are easy to chew and digest, making them suitable for all ages. Containing some of the highest quality protein available in a food, eggs also provide a wide variety of other nutrients at a cost of 70 calories per large egg.

Eggs are an excellent source of B vitamin choline, essential to the brain development and memory centers of fetuses and infants. Two large eggs deliver 100% of daily choline requirements. Eggs are a good source of lutein, an antioxidant carotenoid which helps prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 70 years of age. Both the egg white and yolk provide protein plus assorted amounts of all needed vitamins, except vitamin C, and an array of important minerals.

U.S. shell eggs are available in different sizes:

Extra large>73 g

Large63-73 g

Medium53-63 g

Small<53 g

Expand your Cooking Horizons with U.S. Turkey

U.S. turkey has gained wide recognition all around the world. Although the most popular product continues to be the whole turkey, turkey parts and other products can also be a successful part of daily meals.

U.S. turkey parts include breast roasts, breast tenderloins, drumsticks, thighs and wings. Other products, which are tailor-made to fit today’s fast-paced lifestyles and eating habits, include frankfurters, nuggets, patties, sausages, bologna, pastrami and salami.

U.S. turkey is a food that matches your healthy lifestyle and diet. It's a delicious, low-fat and versatile protein. Sources indicate that turkey provides 18% of the required daily amount of iron, 11% of riboflavin, 21% of zinc, 21% of vitamin B6 and 12% of vitamin B12.

To further boost the flavor of U.S. turkey recipes, try different combinations of seasonings, rubs and marinades. Mix up your favorite collection of herbs with oil, vinegar, honey or yogurt, rub the meat with the mixture and place inside the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour. Apply any cooking method you desire and the result will always be one: succulent flavorful plates that appeal to everyone’s taste.

Here are some creative recipe ideas with U.S. turkey that will make you enjoy cooking and eating at the same time:

Try ground turkey patties in burgers and sandwiches.

Plan outside grilling and barbecues on turkey breast tenderloins and enjoy a healthy fatless meal with family and friends.

Sprinkle sliced turkey sausages on pizzas for an exceptional change.

Try turkey drumsticks and thighs in vegetable stews and stir-fries.

Make spicy appetizers a little more exciting by creating your own arrangement of turkey bacon, pastrami, salami or bologna along with fruits, crackers or chips.

Use turkey franks in buns as snack or for a light lunch.