COMPARATIVE KATE OF DECOMPOSITION IN MARKET POULTRY. 21 



COMMENT. 



The foregoing tables give the detailed information on which the report on the com- 

 parative rate of decomposition in drawn and undrawn fowls is based. This work was 

 done in the interests of wholesome food for the people, and the results have been 

 reported in a form which, it is hoped, will be of service in educating the housewife 

 and buyers in demanding good poultry, and also to the packer, shipper, and whole- 

 saler in helping them to see the value of cold, clean, quick marketing, whether fowls 

 are drawn or undrawn. 



That the rate of decomposition might be based upon something more tangible than 

 such visual inspections as have prevailed in the judging of the condition of market 

 poultry, chemistry and bacteriology have been called to our assistance. 



The studies of the composition of fresh chicken flesh and fat already made in this 

 laboratory have given figures which can be taken as the standard of absolute freshness. 

 What variations from this standard occur during the marketing, including railroad 

 hauls, delayed marketing, etc., can only be determined by long and patient research, 

 since no item in environment is too small to affect the final condition of the product. 

 Such investigations will undoubtedly show that under certain specific conditions there 

 may be either an exaggerated rise in the ammoniacal nitrogen of the flesh, or a notice- 

 able regularity in its quantity, and these results will, doubtless, be closely connected 

 with the number and kind of bacteria which are present. The causes of the rise in 

 the acidity of the fat, even when, in all probability, bacterial life is not functioning, 

 will then be explained and a more and more exact significance can be attached to 

 these figures as far as the food value of flesh is concerned. 



The effort which has been made to correlate such scientific findings with the condi- 

 tions prevailing during two or three weeks of marketing, and over a distance of 1,700 

 miles or more, is new as far as meat products are concerned. 



Looked at from an industrial viewpoint the findings are clear, concise, and convinc- 

 ing. Chemical and bacteriological laboratory work go hand in hand with the observa- 

 tions which the market has used to express the condition of the poultry, but the exact- 

 ness of the scientific method has shown differences where, visually, none existed; and 

 those differences have been confirmed, later, by the usual market inspection when the 

 changes had progressed sufficiently to be apparent to touch, sight, and smell. 



As has been stated, the handling in this experiment has far excelled that com- 

 monly practiced. It is commercially possible, with proper equipment and care 

 throughout, for all packers to equal this standard at the present time, and undoubt- 

 edly, as our knowledge is extended by scientific research, the present "best " methods 

 will be bettered and made commercially practical also. The foregoing results would 

 indicate that any attempt to compel the marketing of poultry drawn under the condi- 

 tions at present prevailing in the industry would be more detrimental to the consumer's 

 interests than are the conditions shown by these findings, since these experimental 

 lots were better handled tnan is the large proportion of dressed poultry. 



Viewed from the critical scientific viewpoint the results obtained in the laboratory 

 are full of suggestion for more work and closer, more numerous observations both on 

 the conditions of marketing and on their results in flesh decomposition. Considering 

 the newness and, speaking scientifically, the comparative crudeness of this line of 

 work, it is of interest to observe how generally the acidity of the fat and the amount 

 of loosely bound nitrogen in the flesh increase together as decomposition advances. 

 A low fat acidity commonly means a small amount of loosely combined nitrogen, and 

 the presence of but few organisms in the flesh also certifies to its good condition. 



The number of individual bacteria has appeared almost overwhelming even when 

 other findings still indicated the wholesomeness of the flesh. But it has been very 

 suggestive to notice, also, with what strides decomposition progresses when bacteria 



