Chicken
Product Uses
Food Uses 1
Chicken is primarily used as a main ingredient in many entree dishes or is served on its own as an entree. Chicken can be prepared in many ways including fried, baked, roasted, and more.
Non-Food Uses 2
Chicken and chicken by-products are often used in pet food.
Food Product Codes
FDA Industry Code and General Industry Description 3
| FDA Industry Code | Description of Product |
|---|
HTS code(s) 4
| HTS Code | Description of Product |
|---|
USDA NDB code(s) 5
| USDA NDB Code | Description of Product |
|---|
Standards and Grades
CODEX Standards 6
CAC/GL 78-2011
FDA Standard of Identity 7
No FDA Standard of Identity was located for this food product.
USDA Grades 8
1. U.S. Grade A. A lot of ready-to-cook poultry, parts, or poultry food products consisting of one or more ready-to-cook carcasses or parts, or individual units of poultry food products of the same kind and class, each of which conforms to the requirements for A quality may be designated as U.S. Grade A.
2. U.S. Grade B. A lot of ready-to-cook poultry or parts consisting of one or more ready-to-cook carcasses or parts of the same kind and class, each of which conforms to the requirements for B quality or better may be designated as U.S. Grade B.
3. U.S. Grade C. A lot of ready-to-cook poultry or parts consisting of one or more ready-to-cook carcasses or parts of the same kind and class, each of which conforms to the requirements for C quality or better, may be designated as U.S. Grade C.
Consumption, Production and Trade
Estimated Consumption of Chicken in the United States per capita 2008 - 2017 9
Updated February 2020.
Annual Value of Chicken Production in the United States 10
Includes boilers. Updated April, 2023.
Annual Quantity of Chicken Produced in the United States (2014-2021) 10
Includes broilers. Updated April, 2023.
United States Import Patterns 11
Imports are relatively sporadic throughout the year without a clear pattern.
Monthly Imports of Chicken into the United States 11
HTS codes 02071400, 02071300, 01051100, 02071100, 02071200, 01059400.
US Imports and Exports by Value 11
HTS codes 02071400, 02071300, 01051100, 02071100, 02071200, 01059400. Updated July 2020.
HTS codes 0207140010, 0207130000, 0207140090, 0207140025, 1602320090, 0207140030, 1601000010, 1602320050, 0207110040, 1602320035, 0207120040, 0207140050, 0207120020, 0207110020, 0105940000
US Imports and Exports by Quantity 11
Top 5 Producing Countries of Chicken 12
| Country | Metric Tons |
|---|
Top 5 Exporting Countries of Chicken 12
| Country | Metric Tons |
|---|
Historic Global Production of Chicken 12
Historic Global Value of Chicken 12
Active anti-dumping/countervailing duties 13
Based on the list of antidumping and countervailing duty orders current as of April 28, 2016, there are no active antidumping or countervailing duties for this product.
Processing and Supply Chain Characteristics
Seasonality Profile 14
Commercial chicken production is relatively steady throughout the year. However, on small farms, chickens are typically butchered in late Spring or early Summer.
Supply Chain Characteristics 15
The poultry industry is now very vertically integrated and many of the stages of production are handled by one company. A poultry firm will purchase eggs from a breeder farm. They will be hatched in the firm's hatcheries. Broiler chicks will be sent to a grow-out house until they are market ready. The broilers will be sent to a processing plant or go directly to distributors, retailers, food service institutions, or export.
Way Exported 16
Chicken is transported by ship, truck, railroad, or aircraft in refrigerated containers at 28 to 32 °F.
Shipping pattern into US 17
No typical shipping patterns into the US were located for this product.
Typical Packaging 18
Chicken is usually packaged in synthetic plastic materials and can be wrapped, vacuum sealed, or packaged with modified atmosphere packaging. Some chilled poultry portions are placed on cellulose or plastic tray before being wrapped. Many different types of plastics are used including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, and poly amide.
Food Safety and Defense
Typical Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 19
| Hazard | Common Controls | Production/Processing Step |
|---|
Key Activity Type - Coating/Mixing/Grinding/Rework (2014) 20
Yes, coating/mixing/grinding/rework if chicken is shredded or ground and ingredient staging/prep/addition if chicken includes an ingredient like seasoning.
Key Activity Type - Ingredient Staging/Prep/Addition 20
Yes - if includes ingredients like seasoning.
Key Activity Type - Liquid Receiving/Loading 20
No
Key Activity Type - Liquid Storage/Hold/Surge Tanks 20
No
Recall history 21
Between 2015 and 2019, there were approximately 160 recalls of chicken and chicken products. The majority of recalls were associated with campylobacter and listeria outbreaks as well as general non-specified adulteration.
Updated February 2020.
Foodborne illness pathogens 22
Campylobacter jejuni Salmonella Heidelberg Listeria
List of past EMA adulterants 23
Bovine bones, bovine gristle, porcine bones, porcine gristle, expired broiler turkeys, kangaroo meat, pig hearts, water buffalo meat, nitrofuran, expired chicken feet, unspecified chemicals, expired beef, expired chicken, pork products, beef, misbranded chicken, mislabeled meat, smuggled frozen meat, chicken meat from non-corn-fed chickens, protein powder, condemned/contaminated chicken meat, malathion, sand, soil, hydrogen peroxide, water
Terrorism and Attacks Involving Food 24
In 2018, a man poured hydrogen peroxide on a number of food products including chicken at a Target store in Phoenix, AZ.
Current issues 25
In 2014, the USDA gave four Chinese companies approval to export cooked poultry products to the United States if they are first imported to China from countries with USDA approved poultry standards. The U.S., Canada, and Chile are the only countries thus far who are approved. Critics of this decision, which includes American poultry companies such as Tyson, say that this decision is being made to appease China. Since 2003 when mad cow disease was discovered in Washington state, China has banned U.S. beef. Some speculate that the USDA is allowing processed chicken to be imported, and may eventually allow fresh chicken, from China so they will consider allowing U.S. beef. The U.S. poultry industry, however, says this plan does not make sense economically because it would cost more to ship the chicken to China than would be saved in labor costs. Due to this, industry proponents say that U.S. companies will never ship chicken to China to be processed and then shipped back.
There have also been several outbreaks of Salmonella in the past five years due to chicken contaminated chicken. While none of these outbreaks caused deaths, they did cause many illnesses and hospitalizations.
Food Defense Incidents (2019) 26
|
Type of incident
EMA
Number of illnesses
0
Number of deaths
0
Year Began
2001
Year Ended
2009 |
Incident summary
Protein powder made out of ground porcine and bovine gristle and bones was added to chicken to increase product weight as part of an incident that involved several Western European countries. Manufacturers in Germany and Spain developed protein powders that were injected into chickens in the Netherlands and then ultimately sold to wholesalers first in Ireland and then in the United Kingdom (UK). The heavier, adulterated product drew higher prices for companies along the supply chain. The bulking agent was so highly processed that it passed conventional DNA tests. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK discovered the incident by using a specialized DNA test following several years of complaints and allegations regarding the use of non-chicken protein powders.
Adulterated food product(s)
chicken
Affected food product(s)
chicken
Originated location(s)
Netherlands, Germany, Spain
Harm location(s)
United Kingdom, Ireland |
|
Type of incident
EMA
Number of illnesses
0
Number of deaths
0
Year Began
Unknown
Year Ended
2011 |
Incident summary
A meat supplier in South Africa substituted and mislabeled several different meat products. Imported water buffalo and kangaroo meat was sold as beef. Pig hearts were sold as sheep, veal, or beef hearts and labeled halal and non-halal chicken was labeled as halal. Expired turkeys were re-labeled to indicate that they had not expired. Three informants notified the authorities of the mislabeling and a formal investigation was launched.
Adulterated food product(s)
beef, chicken, turkey
Affected food product(s)
beef, chicken, turkey
Originated location(s)
South Africa
Harm location(s)
South Africa |
|
Type of incident
EMA
Number of illnesses
0
Number of deaths
0
Year Began
2004
Year Ended
2004 |
Incident summary
In Northern Ireland, trace amounts of nitrofuran, an antibiotic banned in the European Union, was detected in organic chicken. All of the affected chickens originated from one particular farm in Northern Ireland. The nitrofuran was detected during testing by the UK surveillance programme for veterinary medicines.
Adulterated food product(s)
chicken
Affected food product(s)
chicken
Originated location(s)
United Kingdom
Harm location(s)
United Kingdom, |
Sources
- Eat Chicken- Recipes
- Association of American Feed Control Officials- What is in Pet Food.
- FDA Product Code Builder.
- United States International Trade Commission - Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
- United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service - National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
- CODEX Alimentarius - International Food Standards.
- Code of Federal Regulations - Food Standards, 21 C.F.R. § 130.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Grades and Standards.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Statistics by Subject.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Global Agricultural Trade System.
- FAOSTAT.
- United States International Trade Commission.
- Salatin, J. (2007, August/September). Mother Earth News- Seasonal Eating Supports Local Farmers.
- National Chicken Council- Vertical Integration.
- Welby, E.M. & McGregor, B. (2004). Agricultural Export Transportation Handbook. Transport Information Service.
- USTIC
- Heinz, G. (2007). FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS- MEAT PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY.
- United States Department of Agriculture- Generic HACCP Model for Poultry Slaughter.
- FDA Appendix 4 - Evaluation of Food Manufactured, Processed, Packed, or Held On-farm for Risk of Intentional Adulteration.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Archive for Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts.
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention- Multistate Outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni Infections Associated with Undercooked Chicken Livers. Center for Disease Control and Prevention- Reports of Selected Salmonella Outbreak Investigations.
- Food Protection and Defense Institute - EMA Incidents Database. (2016).
- Global Terrorism Database
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention- Reports of Selected Salmonella Outbreak Investigations. Chow, L. (2015, July 14). EcoWatch- What’s the Beef with the U.S./China Chicken Deal? Rooney, B. (2014, November 7). CNN Money- Coming to America: Chickens from China.
- Food Protection and Defense Institute - Food Defense Incidents Database.