QUESTIONS

1. Q: What makes Wingtat Chicken so special?

2. In a word: commitment. Our farmers are committed to producing the best and most flavorful chicken that's raised as naturally as possible for our customers.

3. Q: What do you feed your chickens?

4. Our chickens are fed with a specially formulated feed to produce a superior flavour. They are not fed with any hormones. Our birds have continuous access to clean water which is fresh and uncontaminated at all times.

5. Q: How can your chickens be distinguished?

6. Our chickens can be distinguished by the yellowish hue of the skins as opposed to the bleached appearance of standard chickens. The yellow hue can ony be found in Wingtat Specialty Chicken, not all chicken.

7. Q: How do you prevent flavour loss?

8. All of our chicken products are hung on racks and air-chilled instead of water-chilled during the cooling process to ensure minimal flavor loss.

9. Q: What does air-chilled mean?

10. Instead of dipping the chickens in a common bath of water, Wingtat's chickens are cooled in a special cold air facility to reduce the risk of bacterial cross-contamination. Air-chilling also helps to maintain the natural juices and flavor of the chicken with no excess water absorption.

11. Q: What about safety?

12. Our chickens are safely processed and packaged under CFIA inspection in a federally registered and HACCP-recognized plant.

13. Q: Wingtat is proud to reach the HACCP standard. What is the HACCP standard?

14. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. It is the best internationally recognized preventive system currently known for food safety control and is presently in use by much of the food industry in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

15. Q: How did HACCP originate?

16. HACCP was originally developed by NASA and Pillsbury to eliminate the contamination of food eaten by astronauts in space. The program has been steadily gaining support since the 1960s.

17. Q: How does the HACCP standard work?

18. Under the HACCP standard, each and every step involved in processing, from raw materials receiving to finished product delivery, is closely and carefully studied and analyzed to identify the potential hazards involved. Then monitoring procedures and corrective action are implemented and practiced to control all potential hazards.

    HACCP systems are unique for each establishment and specific food products: However, their standard is always based on the safety of the customer. The emphasis is upon the prevention of potential food safety hazards rather than costly and inconclusive end-product testing.

19. Q: I left poultry on the counter to defrost and forgot about it. Is it still safe to eat?

20. No. Always defrost poultry in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Room temperature allows bacteria to grow on the surface of the meat, even while the inside remains frozen.

21. Q: How long can the poultry be stored in the refrigerator after purchase?

22. We recommend you enjoy your fresh chicken as soon as possible. However, if your uncooked fresh chicken is not used within 2 days, it will be best to freeze it. When properly packaged and stored in a freezer, frozen chicken can maintain its top taste quality for up to one year.

23. Q: What constitutes "fat-free" and "low-fat?"

24. Fat-free contains less than 3% fat, while low-fat is less than 5% fat.

25. Q: Many labels state nutritional information per 100 grams. How much meat is 100 grams?

26. The standard-size poultry serving is 100 grams, or one chicken breast.

27. Q: With chicken, what are my choices of cuts?

28. First of all, decide whether you want to use dark or white meat, then make your choice from these following:

    Leg: The unseparated drumstick and thigh. No back portion. Totally dark meat. Excellent choice for chicken cacciatore, baking in the oven, and barbecuing.

    Thigh: The portion of the leg above the knee joint. Dark meat. Available in bonless and skinless. Ideal for stir-frys, chicken cacciatore, and baking in the oven.

    Drumstick: The lower portion of the leg. Dark meat. Delicious for baking. Breast halves or split breast: White meat. Available bone-in or boneless, and skin-on or skinless. Superb for barbecuing, stir-frys, grilled and sliced in salads, and wraps.

    Wing Portions: Perfect for parties. Superdelicious for hot 'n spicy, teriyaki, thai, honey garlic wings, and barbecues.

    Ground chicken: A good lower fat replacement for hamburger. White meat or dark meat. Great for burgers, chili, pasta sauce.

    Whole chicken and family roasters: The #1 choice for family meals and festivities when fresh from the oven rotisserie-style and served home-style with roated potatoes, fresh garden peas, and corn bread.