030929 Broilers Get Younger with U.S. Poultry Rule

Washington - Broilers, roasters, Cornish game hens and turkeys would be younger birds under a plan by the U.S. Agriculture Department to rewrite poultry label rules, possibly bringing a modest price rise to American shoppers.

The changes are intended to catch up with U.S. farmers' skill at sending fowl to market at earlier ages due to modern breeding and feeding practices. The new rules may increase the price of a 5-pound chicken by 40 to 65 cents by labeling it as a roaster instead of a broiler.

Poultry classes were created 30 years ago for chicken, turkey, geese, duck and guinea fowl to ensure truthful labels.

Under the proposed rule, the age standards for Cornish game hens, broilers, roasters, capons, fryer- roaster turkey and young turkey would be lowered, some by several weeks. Broilers, for instance, now can be up to 13 weeks old.

The National Chicken Council said the changes would have little impact because they reflect "what is the practice in the industry," a spokesman said. Most broilers, the most widely sold chicken in U.S. grocery stores, are less than 7 weeks old. The proposed rule would specify "less than 10 weeks" of age.

Age is an important fact in marketing.

Young birds yield a more succulent, tender meat than older fowl and are suitable for all types of cooking, especially broiling, barbecuing and frying, the USDA said. The less tender meat of older birds are more suitable for stewing and baking or making soups, casseroles, salads and sandwiches.

The USDA said it would consider whether to use weight ranges in place of age limits on poultry, and what qualifies as a Cornish game hen.

Americans consume an average of 81 pounds of chicken a year, making the barnyard fowl their most popular meat source.

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