Color of Fresh Poultry in Refrigerated Supermarket Display Cases

Raw chicken and turkey can come in a range of colors including bluish white, yellow, pale tan, and pink.The color of fresh poultry in refrigerated supermarket display cases can vary widely. Raw chicken and turkey can come in a range of colors including bluish white, yellow, pale tan, and pink, depending upon the part of the bird and the bird’s diet, age, breed, amount of fat, and exercise habits.

However, different light sources affect the perceived color of the poultry because they have different spectral components, so the same chicken part can appears to be several different colors. For example, a panel described a chicken leg as pink or red when it was under an incandescent light, brown when under a fluorescent light, and brown to purple under a metal-halide light.

Since many studies have found that color is one of the fundamental factors consumers consider when purchasing chicken and turkey, it is vital that the poultry be displayed in lighting that does not hide its fresh appearance.