The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently launched a new training tool titled the “Poultry Picture Series” to provide a visual guide on poultry grading defect tolerances that impact product quality. The series, which is a supplement to the U.S. Classes, Grades, and Standards for Poultry, will be available as a spiralbound printed resource, a digital document and as a web-based photo library. It provides supplemental information in a user-friendly and accessible format to increase awareness and knowledge of the factors that affect USDA poultry grades.
AMS develops and maintains official grade standards for poultry products, which measure factors such as meat yield, fat covering, freedom from defects such as cuts and tears in the skin, feathers, broken/disjointed bones, discolorations and ready-to-cook factors. The standards are applied to determine the quality of the product and are not a reflection of wholesomeness, which is determined by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) prior to the grading process.