The Poultry Industry Relies on Flake Ice for Holiday Products

The demand for fresh poultry soars during the holiday season, and delivering high-quality products becomes a top priority for processors and retailers. Meeting consumer expectations for freshness and texture requires precise temperature control throughout processing and transportation. That’s why the poultry industry depends on flake ice to get high-quality poultry to grocery stores.

Flake ice provides rapid, efficient cooling to reduce poultry temperatures quickly, ensuring compliance with FDA requirements and maintaining product freshness. Since the USDA’s 1997 ruling established that “fresh” poultry must never drop below 26°F, processors have relied on flake ice to meet this standard. At 26°F, poultry remains pliable and soft to the touch, which meets consumer expectations for fresh poultry while ensuring safety and freshness from processing to store shelves.

How the Poultry Industry Uses Flake Ice During Processing & Storage

Fresh poultry must be chilled within hours of slaughter and kept at a temperature range of 26°F to 40°F during processing, storage, and transportation to prevent any increased microbiological risk. Maintaining poultry within this temperature range is crucial for ensuring safety and quality.

The most effective way to achieve this is by using flake ice and water to create a slurry chiller, which works to remove excess heat while cleaning and processing the poultry before packaging.

During transportation, flake ice plays a vital role in maintaining fresh poultry’s ideal temperature range. Because it is thin, flat, and moldable, flake ice is well suited to evenly surround and cool the poultry, preventing heat pockets and reducing the risk of spoilage. By continuously absorbing heat, flake ice ensures consistent cold chain integrity, which helps keep poultry fresh and safe from the factory to the store.

When handled and stored properly, fresh poultry is just as safe as frozen products but offers significant advantages. Fresh poultry retains superior texture and flavor, can be used immediately without the need for thawing, and is ideal for quick preparation, making it a preferred choice for both consumers and food service operations.

Poultry Processors Rely on Howe Rapid Freeze® Ice Flakers

Our flake ice equipment helps the poultry industry keep its products at the right temperatures during processing, distribution, and storage. We have been working with the industry for over 50 years to keep products fresh even before the official “fresh” label went into effect in 1997. Our sub-cooled flake ice is used for poultry processing because it efficiently removes heat from product after slaughter and during processing. It is also used for storage and topping off shipping cartons to ensure that poultry stays cool during transport. Howe flake ice has a flat, thin shape that ensures the most surface contact area of any other form of ice, providing full contact without damaging the outer skin of the product. The cooling capacity of our ice maintains the ideal temperatures of fresh poultry while also preserving the meat’s moisture levels, which adds to the quality and increases profits.

Howe Rapid Freeze® ice flakers are designed to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week under the most demanding conditions. Our ice flakers reliably produce all the required flake ice you need when you need it. In addition, Howe machines generate nearly 100% ice quality compared to only 80% from our competitors, which means less waste. With flake ice models designed for every aspect of the poultry industry, we are able to meet the capacity needs of large-scale processors and wholesalers as well as local poultry retail outlets.

Howe ice is simply the preferred flake ice for poultry processors. Our manufacturing and sales teams are committed to delivering the most appropriately sized ice flakers to maintain the safety and quality of all types of fresh poultry! Contact us today to request a quote.