ABSTRACT
Poultry meat can be refrigerated in either cool or frozen storage. Controlled temperatures are required to prevent losses in quality caused by fluctuating temperatures and to predict shelf life with some degree of accuracy. Control of air composition is necessary to maintain reasonably high humidities at low temperatures and to provide fresh air free of odors and undesirable gases. The majority of broilers produced in the United States and a large portion of the fowl were packed in crushed ice for delivery to stores. The cost of equipment for mechanical refrigeration is quite high when compared to ice. Poultry can deteriorate in quality during freezing or during frozen storage. The conditions under which the carcasses are frozen can influence the color of the carcass, drip, and bone darkening. With liquefied gas freezing, the product is frozen completely rather than just the surface.
