Chapter 4 - Over Scald

Birds that spend too much time in the scald tank will become slightly cooked – referred to as an ‘over scald’. This usually occurs due to a break in the line or to poor adjustment of the scald temperature and line speed.

Carcasses that are cooked are condemned. Many times, these carcasses will also be machine-mutilated by picking machines. The skin of an affected carcass feels slimy to the touch and slips from the underlying meat which is much whiter than usual.