FAQ

It is NOT true at all. Injecting hormones was practised back in the 1970’s and by the 1980’s the use of growth hormones are not permitted any more in livestock. If you happen to see a farmer injecting ‘milky coloured oil’ at the neck, it is not a hormone but a vaccine is being inoculated. Broiler chickens grow faster now mainly due to genetic improvement and the use of well formulated feed.

The use of antibiotics is strictly regulated by the Poison’s Act 1952. They are only used therapeutically on chickens affected by specific diseases and must undergo a withdrawal period before being sold. The claim of being antibiotic free is only a form of quality assurance the producer wants to associate with its brand. It does not say other chickens contain antibiotics.

Generally speaking poultry meats sold in the markets are free from antibiotics. There are government authorities that monitor the situation regularly. The poultry industry as a whole is striving to move away from antibiotics use as growth promoters. They are only used therapeutically under veterinary supervision.

It is not possible to tell from sight alone. The best safeguard is to purchase branded chickens from reputable retail outlets.

It is generally not advisable to repeatedly thaw and freeze chicken meat as it affects quality very significantly. It is much better to divide chicken pieces in cooking portions before the initial freezing and thawed only once before cooking.

The color of poultry meat is determined by the oxygen transport mechanism to the muscle cells.
Muscles used more frequently, must use myoglobin proteins which can transfer oxygen more efficiently to the muscle cells and get to be dark. This is why non-flying poultry drumsticks have dark meat, while breast meat is white as the medium which transfers oxygen in white meat is glycogen
When dark meat is cooked it turns the myoglobins to metmyoglobins, which is brown/gray.
Dark meats tend to contain more zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, amino acids, iron than white meat. Dark beef contains about 11 times more zinc than tuna, and about 3 times as much iron than raw spinach. Chicken dark meat contain vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, minerals as selenium, phosphorus and zinc.

There is not significant difference in the nutritional value of chicken and duck meats. Consumption is largely determined by taste and price affordability.

The information is as below:

Chicken liver and intestine are part of the internal organs of the chicken. While some consumers regard them as delicacies, their high minerals, vitamins and fat content in the liver should be taken into account and taken moderately only.

It is a historical fact that Bukit Mertajam was among the first location where broiler chickens were produced in this country. The yellowish color in chickens results from being fed with extra amounts of carotenoids, the precursor for Vitamin A and thus appear to be different from normal chickens. Such chickens can be produced anywhere and is not exclusive to Bukit Mertajam.

A product is only certified halal if it bears the JAKIM logo or the halal mark of the religious authority of the respective state the chicken is sold.