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What should I look for when I shop for chicken?

Whatever city we're in, whether it's on the East Coast, or Puerto Rico, or even London or Moscow or Tokyo, Frank visits supermarkets the way other people visit museums or monuments.  He notices the following kinds of things himself and would recommend that you do also when selecting chicken.

1. Give the package a little squeeze.  Are there signs of ice along wings, backs or edges?  Frank explained to me that some chicken producers blast their birds with air as cold as -40o F, but he never does.  Freezing causes a breakdown in protein, loss of natural juices, and reduced tenderness. Also,  when you cook a frozen bird, the bones and nearby meat may turn an unappetizing dark color.
   
   
2. Look at the thickness of the meat in proportion to the bone.  If, for example, the breast looks scrawny, you're paying a lot for bone rather than meat.
   
   
3. Read the labels so you know what you are getting.  Many different parts and combinations are available, and some look surprisingly alike even to Frank's trained eye.  The label tells exactly what is inside.
   
   
4. Ask questions.  If any meat or poultry product doesn't look, feel, or smell just right, check with the professionals behind the counter.
   
   
5. Notice the pull date.  Most stores are scrupulous about removing chicken before the pull date expires$but sometimes there's a slip-up.
   
   
6. Was the chicken well-cleaned?  Or are there little traces of feathers or hairs?  These can look really unattractive when the bird is cooked.
   
   
7. Is the chicken stored correctly on the chilling shelf, or are the trays of chicken stacked so high that the top ones aren't kept cold?  When that happens, the shelf life of the top ones is seriously shortened.
   
   
8. Is the meat case kept so cold that the fresh chicken is frozen and ends up with ice crystals on the tray? If so, complain to the manager.
   
   
9. Look at the ends of the bones.  Are they pink or are they  turning gray?  Generally, the more pink the bone ends are, the fresher the chicken.
   

From the Perdue Chicken Cookbook