Inquiring minds want to know: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/hen-or-rooster---do-you-want-to-know-your-meats-gender/article1359695/
Many customers are starting to ask for male chickens, he says, because female birds are believed to have higher levels of naturally-occurring hormones, which some people want to avoid. But, according to associate professor Gregoy Bedecarrats of the University of Guelph’s Department of Animal and Poultry Science, the biological half-life of naturally-occurring hormones, such as estrogen, is fairly short. The likelihood of these hormones accumulating in the tissue or fat of the birds, then surviving the processing and cooking, is low and wouldn’t affect consumers’ health. While male birds may have slightly higher levels of testosterone and females could have minimally higher estrogen levels, broiler chickens, those typically found in grocery stores, reach only about seven weeks of age, so their hormone levels are low, Dr. Bedecarrats says. Hormones aside, however, there’s also a difference in the physical composition of male and female chickens, Mr. Gundy says. “Female chickens have more fat. Male chickens yield more protein, which means there’s actually more of the meat,” he says, noting that while he can’t distinguish any difference in taste, there is a difference in the way it feels in the mouth. “You know you have a big fatty steak, you can tell there’s that satiating fat going on? With a female chicken, you get more of that fatty flavour – not greasy, but you can just tell there’s more fat.” -- Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology St. Ambrose University 518 West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa 52803 563-333-6482 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=44281 or send a blank email to leave-44281-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
