Bleach CX skin?

[Chicken411]

I was watching this you tube clip where this guy is arguing that we need to return to traditional meat birds and organic foods. Well, he was showing a DP carcass and how it is yellow and the skin is thicker. He said that they bleach CX skin to make it whiter and more appealing. I had heard they bleach the CX before they package them, but that they did it to kill bacteria and the like. I have never processed CX so I don't know yet. Is there skin really not as white as the store bought birds or is this guy just confused? Just wondering.

Thanks

 

[saddina]

CX is a lighter skinned chicken, in the Us we perfer our chickens with a pale yellow skin color, in parts of europe white is perferred.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
An agenda not supported by facts.

 

[scubaforlife]

My CXs on pure corn/feed diet, in confinement, have "white" skin. My CX on pasture have very yellow skin. I think its diet as well as breed. DPs aren't normally raised in confinement on pure feed diet as they are more heritage and those that raise them tend to follow more traditional methods.

His conclusions are anecdotal at best.

 

[blueskylen]

I have purchased from Ideal, McMurray, and Meyers - first 2 batches had yellow legs and last with white legs. it must be what breeds that they are using when Xing

 

[KatieH]

Quote:
An agenda not supported by facts.

Yep.

 

[dancingbear]

Don't believe everything you see on Youtube. The guy's info is incorrect, I have no idea if he's deliberately lying, or just doesn't know what he's talking about.

Chicken skin color is a combination of diet and genetics, mostly genetics. Here's a chart that shows the skin color (and other useful info) of various breeds.
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[greathorse]

Just bad facts some producers grow for a yellow skin others prefer whiter skin. In general east coast market prefers yellow while midwest prefers whiter skin. Perdue for example produces for a far more yellow skin. They use a combination of genetics, feed, and lower scald temps. A bird scalded at a lower temp will maintain that real thin outer layer of skin, I cannot remember what it is called it is more yellow that the actual skin. Harder hotter scalds removes this layer. Producers that sell birds into the market that breads the skin generally likes that outer skin to be gone as the breading sticks much better.

I keep wanting to call that outer skin the pellicle, but I know that is also the term used for creating a film with some kind of brining and drying. I am sure someone will know.

Most if not all birds are rinsed with some chlorinated water as a bacteria control, but not enough to bleach the skin. I know that some plants have experimented with ozonated water for bacteria control as well. Not sure it has unilateral approval.