The New Complete Book of Food
As moisture escapes from the skin, it turns crisp. At the same time, the heat liquifies the fat
in the bird, which runs off into the pan, lowering the fat and cholesterol content.
Finally, cooking kills the Salmonella and other microorganisms on the skin and flesh of
poultry. For maximum safety, poultry should be cooked to a uniform internal temperature of
180°F. If you are cooking your poultry in a microwave oven, check to be sure that the surface
of the bird—which is cooled by evaporating moisture—is as hot as the inside, otherwise
bacteria on the skin may remain alive.How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Freezing. When poultry is frozen, the water in its cells turns into ice crystals which rupture
the cell walls. When you thaw the poultry, liquid escapes from the cells and the chicken,
turkey, duck, or goose may taste dry and stringy.
The unsaturated fatty acids in poultry will continue to oxidize (and eventually turn
rancid) while the bird is frozen. Poultry cut into pieces will spoil more quickly than a whole
bird because it has more surfaces exposed to the air. Fresh whole chicken and turkey will
keep for up to 12 months at 0°F; chicken pieces will keep for nine months; turkey pieces and
whole duck and goose for six months.
Smoking. Smoking (which means slowly roasting a bird in the smoke from an open fire)
gives poultry a rich taste that varies according to the wood used in the fire. Birds smoked
over an open fire may pick up carcinogenic chemicals from the smoke, including a-benzo-
pyrene, the most prominent carcinogen in tobacco smoke. Artificial smoke flavoring is com-
mercially treated to remove tar and a-benzopyrene. Smoked poultry has less moisture and
proportionally more fat than fresh poultry.
Self-basting” turkeys. To make these birds “self-basting,” fat or oil is inserted under the
skin of the breast before the bird is packed or frozen. As the bird cooks, the fat warms,
melts, and oozes out, basting the turkey. “Self-basting” turkeys are higher in fat than other
turkeys; depending on what kind of fat is inserted into the breast, they may also be higher
in cholesterol.Medical Uses and/or Benefits
To relieve the congestion of a cold. Hot chicken soup, the quintessential folk remedy, does
appear to relieve the congestion that comes with a head cold. Exactly why remains a mystery
but some researchers have suggested that the hot steam from the soup helps liquify mucus
and clear the nasal passages.Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Like other foods from animals, poultry is a sig-
nificant source of cholesterol and saturated fats, which increase the amount of cholesterol