The confirmed bird flu cases in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija has everyone on the edge. Despite the Department of Health’s (DOH) statement that with proper handling and cooking, it is safe to eat poultry products, consumers are still afraid to buy and eat egg and chicken meat.
According to Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) President and General Manager Ronald R. Mascariñas, a simple check of the chicken skin can help determine whether or not the produce is stricken with bird flu.
“The skin of a healthy chicken is really white, while that of possibly infected one has a lot of black marks or as if nabugbog,” said Mascariñas.
To help consumers tell if the chicken meat they are about to buy are safe, BAVI round up some signs they can check, such as color and smell of the meat; and surface and texture of the skin.
1. White skin, pinkish meat. Pink is the color of fresh chicken. Avoid any grayish meat and transparent looking skin, which are signs of old meat left out in the freezer for several days.
2. Packed chicken that has a lot of blood is a sign that it is old and has been roughly handled by several people already. To be sure, smell the meat and make sure that it smells fresh and clean. At all cost, avoid “bloody” chicken because you are only exposing yourself to higher risk of bacterial contamination.
3. Raw chicken should feel moist. If it is slimy even after rinsing it under water, it has to go.
BAVI continues to assure the public that they only use chicken meat that has passed inspection of the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) in all its roasted chicken stores nationwide.