Book excerpt: A comprehensive reference for the poultry industry—Volume 1 describes everything from husbandry up to preservation With an unparalleled level of coverage, the Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology provides an up-to-date and comprehensive reference on poultry processing. Volume 1 describes husbandry, slaughter, preservation, and safety. It presents all the details professionals need to know beginning with live poultry through to the freezing of whole poultry and predetermined cut parts. Throughout, the coverage focuses on one paramount objective: an acceptable quality and a safe product for consumer purchase and use. The text includes safety requirements and regulatory enforcement in the United States, EU, and Asia. Volume 1: Primary Processing is divided into seven parts: Poultry: biology to pre-mortem status—includes such topics as classification and biology, competitive exclusion, transportation to the slaughterhouse, and more Slaughtering and cutting—includes the slaughterhouse building and required facilities, equipment, and operations; carcass evaluation and cutting; kosher and halal slaughter; and more Preservation: refrigeration and freezing—includes the biology and physicochemistry of poultry meat in rigor mortis under ambient temperature, as well as changes that occur during freezing and thawing; engineering principles; equipment and processes; quality; refrigeration and freezing for various facilities; and more Preservation: heating, drying, chemicals, and irradiation Composition, chemistry, and sensory attributes—includes quality characteristics, microbiology, nutritional components, chemical composition, and texture of raw poultry meat Eggs—includes egg attributes, science, and technology Sanitation and Safety—includes PSE, poultry-related foodborne diseases, OSHA requirements, HACCP and its application, and more