Chicken breast with rib meat

Description

• Boneless chicken breast portions that intentionally include the adjacent rib meat (the thin muscle layer over the ribs that naturally accompanies the breast). Deboned by hand or with guided mechanical tools—not mechanically separated meat.

• Forms: fresh chilled, IQF frozen, trimmed fillets, butterflied or thin-sliced, and marinated/enhanced versions (water–salt–spice solutions; pick-up must be declared on label).

Caloric value (per 100 g)

• Raw, skinless: typically ~110–130 kcal, protein ~22–24 g, fat ~2–4 g, moisture ~73–75%.

• Cooked, skinless (grilled/roasted): typically ~155–175 kcal, protein ~29–32 g, fat ~3–5 g (method-dependent).

• Rib meat is slightly higher in myoglobin and fat than central breast, contributing juiciness and a modest calorie increase.

Key constituents

• Proteins: myofibrillar (actin–myosin) and sarcoplasmic proteins; collagen content is low–moderate for poultry white meat.

• Lipids: predominantly phospholipids and neutral lipids from skinless muscle; fatty-acid pattern typical of chicken (see “Lipid profile”).

• Minerals/vitamins: potassium, phosphorus, niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6; trace selenium and zinc.

• Typical quality markers (raw): pH ~5.7–6.2, drip loss, color L*a*b*, bound water.

Production process

• Primary processing: slaughter, evisceration, rapid chilling.

• Deboning: breast (pectoralis major) removed with rib meat retained; trimming to remove cartilage/bone fragments.

• Optional enhancement: tumbling/injection with brine (water, salt, spices/functional ingredients); pick-up % controlled.

• Packaging: tray-overwrap, vacuum, or MAP; for IQF, portions are individually quick frozen and bagged.

Sensory and technological properties

• Lean, mild flavor with fine, tender grain; rib meat adds slight succulence and flavor depth.

• High WHC (water-holding capacity) when handled cold; excessive thawing abuse increases drip.

• Responds well to marination (salt/organic acids/phosphates or clean-label alternatives) improving yield and tenderness.

Food uses

• Grill/roast/sauté main courses, sandwiches/wraps, salads, stir-fries, skewers, stuffed preparations; diced/strip forms for ready meals and foodservice.

• Suitable for cured–smoked styles or sous-vide for moisture retention and portion control.

Nutrition and health

• Naturally high in protein, low in fat (skinless).

• Sodium is low in natural products; enhanced/marinated items may have elevated sodium—check label.

• Poultry is a non-red meat option; overall health impact depends on cooking method (added fats, breading, sauces).

Lipid profile

• Chicken (skinless) fat is characterized by more MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids, largely oleic—often neutral/favorable for blood lipids) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably linoleic—beneficial when balanced) than SFA (saturated fatty acids, excessive intakes can raise LDL).

• Absolute fat is low in breast; rib meat raises fat slightly but remains lean.

Quality and specifications (typical topics)

• Absence of bone/cartilage; trim level (tenders on/off), size calibration, defects (tears, bruising) minimized.

• Microbiology: low incoming counts; pathogens absent/25 g on finished RTE items; raw product prepared under hygienic controls.

• Physical–chemical: pH, drip loss, cook yield (if marinated), injection pick-up within spec.

• Visual conditions: monitor white striping and woody breast incidence; manage through sourcing/specs.

• Labeling: declare “Chicken breast with rib meat”; declare added water/solutions with percentage if enhanced.

Storage and shelf-life

• Fresh: 0–4 °C, typically 5–10 days under vacuum/MAP (spec- and hygiene-dependent).

• Frozen: ≤−18 °C, commonly 6–12 months; avoid thaw–refreeze cycles; protect from oxidation and freezer burn.

Allergens and safety

• Chicken meat itself is not among major allergen classes in many jurisdictions, but declare poultry per local rules; avoid cross-contact with known allergens in marinades.

• Food safety controls: strict time–temperature, sanitation, and validated cooking lethality for RTE items.

Troubleshooting

• Dry texture: overcooking or low WHC → reduce end-point temperature (e.g., to safe but lower target), use brines/marinades, consider sous-vide.

• Uneven doneness/thickness: butterfly or evenly pound; use thermometry.

• Excess purge after thaw: thaw under refrigeration, maintain cold chain; optimize vacuum and freezing rate.

• Rubbery bite (woody breast): adjust cook method (moist heat, slicing against grain), source to tighter specs.

• Salty taste (enhanced items): select lower pick-up or reduced-sodium formulations; dilute marinades.

Sustainability and supply chain

• Efficiency gains via yield optimization (retaining rib meat reduces trim waste).

• Plant operations: efficient chilling/freezing, water reuse, and effluent management toward BOD/COD targets; animal welfare and full traceability under GMP/HACCP.

Conclusion
Chicken breast with rib meat provides a lean, high-protein cut with improved juiciness and flavor versus strictly trimmed breast. Product performance depends on freshness, cold-chain discipline, and—where used—marination parameters; quality hinges on bone-free trimming, controlled microbiology, and consistent portioning.

Mini-glossary

• WHC — Water-holding capacity: the meat’s ability to retain moisture during storage and cooking.

• IQF — Individually quick frozen: rapid, piece-by-piece freezing that preserves texture and minimizes clumping.

• MAP — Modified atmosphere packaging: protective gases to extend chilled shelf-life.

• Woody breast / white striping — common myopathies in modern broilers that can affect texture/appearance.

• SFA — Saturated fatty acids: excessive intakes may increase LDL cholesterol.

• MUFA — Monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic): often neutral/favorable for blood lipids.

• PUFA — Polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g., linoleic): beneficial when balanced; more prone to oxidation.

• GMP/HACCP — Good Manufacturing Practice / Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: preventive hygiene systems with defined CCP.

• CCP — Critical control point: process step where control prevents/reduces a safety hazard (e.g., chilling, cooking lethality).

• BOD/COD — Biochemical/Chemical oxygen demand: wastewater-load indicators important in poultry plants.

References__________________________________________________________________________

English DR, MacInnis RJ, Hodge AM, Hopper JL, Haydon AM, Giles GG. Red meat, chicken, and fish consumption and risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Sep;13(9):1509-14.

Abstract. Background: Red meat and processed meat consumption have been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer in some, but not all, relevant cohort studies. Evidence on the relationship between risk of colorectal cancer and poultry and fish consumption is inconsistent.  Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 37,112 residents of Melbourne, Australia recruited from 1990 to 1994. Diet was measured with a food frequency questionnaire. We categorized the frequency of fresh red meat, processed meat, chicken, and fish consumption into approximate quartiles. Adenocarcinomas of the colon or rectum were ascertained via the Victorian Cancer Registry. Results: We identified 283 colon cancers and 169 rectal cancers in an average of 9 years of follow-up. For rectal cancer, the hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals (95% CI)] in the highest quartile of consumption of fresh red meat and processed meat were 2.3 (1.2-4.2; P for trend = 0.07) and 2.0 (1.1-3.4; P for trend = 0.09), respectively. The corresponding hazard ratios (95% CIs) for colon cancer were 1.1 (0.7-1.6; P for trend = 0.9) and 1.3 (0.9-1.9; P for trend = 0.06). However, for neither type of meat was the heterogeneity between subsites significant. Chicken consumption was weakly negatively associated with colorectal cancer (hazard ratio highest quartile, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-1.0; P for trend = 0.03), whereas hazard ratios for fish consumption were close to unity. Conclusion: Consumption of fresh red meat and processed meat seemed to be associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer. Consumption of chicken and fish did not increase risk.

Chong EW, Simpson JA, Robman LD, Hodge AM, Aung KZ, English DR, Giles GG, Guymer RH. Red meat and chicken consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 1;169(7):867-76. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwn393. 

Abstract. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older people, and diet has been postulated to alter risk of AMD. To evaluate associations between red meat and chicken intake and AMD, the authors conducted a cohort study of 6,734 persons aged 58-69 years in 1990-1994 in Melbourne, Australia. Meat intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. At follow-up (2003-2006), bilateral digital macular photographs were taken and evaluated for AMD (1,680 cases of early AMD, 77 cases of late AMD). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios, adjusted for age, smoking, and other potential confounders. Higher red meat intake was positively associated with early AMD; the odds ratio for consumption of red meat > or =10 times/week versus <5 times/week was 1.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.21, 1.79; P-trend < 0.001). Similar trends toward increasing prevalence of early AMD were seen with higher intakes of fresh and processed red meat. Conversely, consumption of chicken > or =3.5 times/week versus <1.5 times/week was inversely associated with late AMD (odds ratio = 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.91; P-trend = 0.007). These results suggest that different meats may differently affect AMD risk and may be a target for lifestyle modification.

Navas-Carretero S, Cuervo M, Abete I, Zulet MA, Martínez JA. Frequent consumption of selenium-enriched chicken meat by adults causes weight loss and maintains their antioxidant status. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011 Oct;143(1):8-19. doi: 10.1007/s12011-010-8831-x. 

Abstract. To assess the effects of a moderately high-protein intake on the body composition, biochemical, and antioxidant status parameters in young adults depending on either selenium- (Se) or non-enriched chicken consumption. The volunteers (n = 24) that completed the 10-week nutritional intervention were distributed in two parallel groups and randomly assigned to follow an isocaloric diet with moderately high content in protein (30% energy), either with the consumption of four 200 g portions/week of Se- or non-enriched chicken breasts. Blood samples were taken at the beginning and at the end of the study and body composition was monitored during the trial. There was a significant reduction in weight, accompanying a decrease on fat mass in both groups, while fat-free mass remained unchanged during the 10 weeks of intervention, without differences between both dietary groups. Selenium blood levels and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity, as well as lipid, glucose, and selected inflammation biomarkers remained stable during the intervention period in both dietary groups. Frequent chicken consumption, within a controlled diet with a moderately high content in protein, produced a slight but statistically significant weight reduction mainly due to the loss of fat mass. An extra Se supplementation (22 μg/day) in the Se-enriched chicken breast did not affect tachyphylactic antioxidant status of the participants neither inflammatory-related markers after weight loss.

Barbosa ACS, Mendes PS, Mattos G, Fuchs RHB, Marques LLM, Beneti SC, Heck SC, Droval AA, Cardoso FAR. Comparative analysis of the use of natural and synthetic antioxidants in chicken meat: an update review. Braz J Biol. 2023 Oct 23;83:e275539. doi: 10.1590/1519-6984.275539. 

Abstract. The search for healthy foods has attracted the industry's attention to developing products that use natural ingredients, including natural antioxidants. Antioxidants act as free radicals or oxygen scavengers, inhibiting lipid oxidation and adversely affecting meat products' sensory and nutritional quality. Several synthetic antioxidants have been used in the meat industry; however, studies point to health risks related to their consumption. Such fact drives research into natural antioxidants extracted from grains, oilseeds, spices, fruits, and vegetables, which may have a health-promoting effect. This manuscript evaluates the effectiveness of several natural antioxidants in improving the quality and shelf life of chicken meat products during processing, storage, and distribution. The potential effects of natural antioxidants widely used in chicken products are also discussed. It can be concluded that these natural antioxidants are possible substitutes for synthetic ones. However, their use can affect the product's characteristics.

Connolly G, Campbell WW. Poultry Consumption and Human Cardiometabolic Health-Related Outcomes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 11;15(16):3550. doi: 10.3390/nu15163550. 

Abstract. Poultry meats, in particular chicken, have high rates of consumption globally. Poultry is the most consumed type of meat in the United States (US), with chicken being the most common type of poultry consumed. The amounts of chicken and total poultry consumed in the US have more than tripled over the last six decades. This narrative review describes nutritional profiles of commonly consumed chicken/poultry products, consumption trends, and dietary recommendations in the US. Overviews of the scientific literature pertaining to associations between, and effects of consuming chicken/poultry on, body weight and body composition, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are provided. Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates the consumption of lean unprocessed chicken as a primary dietary protein source has either beneficial or neutral effects on body weight and body composition and risk factors for CVD and T2DM. Apparently, zero randomized controlled feeding trials have specifically assessed the effects of consuming processed chicken/poultry on these health outcomes. Evidence from observational studies is less consistent, likely due to confounding factors such as a lack of a description of and distinctions among types of chicken/poultry products, amounts consumed, and cooking and preservation methods. New experimental and observational research on the impacts of consuming chicken/poultry, especially processed versions, on cardiometabolic health is sorely needed.

Toh DWK, Wong CH, Fam J, Kim JE. Daily consumption of essence of chicken improves cognitive function: a systematically searched meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Neurosci. 2021 Mar;24(3):236-247. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2019.1619984. 

Abstract. Essence of chicken (EC) is a dietary supplement with potential benefits on one's cognitive performance. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effects of consuming EC on cognitive function, applying extensively represented domains. Six databases were systematically searched to yield 1760 articles. These articles were independently screened to obtain 8 eligible articles with a pooled population of 794 subjects which is more than twice the population size considered in the previous meta-analyses. Largely, favorable effects on cognitive function were observed following daily EC intake, specifically in the working memory domain (standardized mean difference: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.46), one of the core components in executive function which showed statistically significant results. Furthermore, the observed results were also robust to sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses. This suggests that when consumed daily, EC may improve the mental processing aspect of cognitive function amongst the healthy population.

Ahmad S, Ahmed I, Haider S, Batool Z, Ahmed SB. Daily consumption of commercial chicken feed and meat lead to alterations in serum cholesterol and steroidal sex hormones in female rats. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017 Jan;30(1 Suppl):257-261. 

Abstract. Poultry consumption is increased worldwide owing to better taste, easy availability and low cost. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of the chicken feed, conventional chicken meat and organic chicken meat on the % growth rate, serum cholesterol, progesterone, testosterone and estrogen levels in female rats. Hundred female Albino Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups (n=25). Group I was control rats fed on standard chow, group II treated with commercial chicken feed, group III rats fed with conventional chicken meat and group IV with organic chicken meat for a period of 6 weeks. % Growth rate, serum cholesterol, progesterone, testosterone and estrogen levels were estimated after the treatment. The present study showed significant increase in growth rate, serum cholesterol levels and imbalance in serum steroidal hormone levels. It is therefore, suggested from the present study that the intake of commercial chicken feed and commercial chicken meat may be the potential cause of development of polycystic ovary syndrome in females due to steroid hormonal imbalance.