What is a common method of evaluating meat quality in poultry?

Assessing tenderness and juiciness is a widely recognized method for evaluating meat quality in poultry. These two factors play critical roles in determining the overall eating experience. Tenderness refers to the ease with which the meat can be sliced or chewed, while juiciness is linked to the moisture content in the meat, which can significantly affect flavor and texture.

Evaluating tenderness typically involves sensory tests or instrumental methods that measure force required to penetrate the meat. Juiciness is often evaluated based on the ultimate cooking method and the inherent moisture retained within the meat itself. Together, these qualities can indicate the overall satisfaction of consumers, making them essential metrics in the poultry industry for quality assessment.

The other options focus on traits that do not directly correlate with meat quality. For instance, assessing the color of the feathers pertains to the bird's appearance rather than the edibility and palatability of the meat. Measuring the height of the birds does not provide information related to meat characteristics, and counting the number of muscle fibers, while it may provide some insight into texture, is not a standard practice in consumer evaluations of meat quality.