Under the patronage of Professor Kadhim Jabur Al-Jubouri, Ph.D. the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, and under the supervision of Professor Munir Abdel Amir Abid Al-Fatlawy, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Branch of Public Health has held a discussion panel on the colour of poultry meat and consumer preferences, delivered by Asst. Prof. Aseel Abdel Redha Saeed, Ph.D.

       The panel discussion has showed that the most important factors affecting the colour of meat in poultry include the age of the bird, sex, diet, moisture content of the meat, and pre-slaughter conditions. The colour of the meat depends on the presence of the muscle pigments myoglobin and hemoglobin in poultry. The higher the concentration of myoglobin in the muscles, the darker the color of the meat. Since chickens stand most of the time and use their legs a lot, these two pieces of meat tend to have the highest amount of myoglobin, making them the reddest in pigment. Fresh chicken should be pink. It has a firm and thick consistency.

        It has recommended that dark meat should be the choice because it is high in calories, high-quality protein, healthy fats, essential vitamins and minerals, and is a better source of iron, niacin, riboflavin, zinc and selenium.