Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Quality factor

Quality standards

Grade A

Grade B

Undergrade

1

2

3

4

1.

Fleshiness:

- General

Good

Fairly good

*

- Breast

Well developed, broad, long and fleshy

Well developed

*

- Legs

Fleshy

Fairly fleshy

*

2.

Breast blisters

None

Not more than 350 mm² per carcass(1)

*

3.

Abrasion and discolouration marks

Collective area less than 650 mm2 per carcass(2); none on the breast or thigh

Collective area less than 1 200 mm² per carcass(3); none on the breast

*

4.

Conformation

Good

Moderate deviations

*

5.

Broken bones and dislocations

No visible broken bone or dislocated leg or wing; both wing tips may be removed

Not more than one visible broken bone or dislocated leg or wing per carcass; both wing tips may be removed

*

6.

Colour

Attractive, uniformly white to light yellow over the entire carcass, without pigmented follicles; wing tips may appear slightly red

Uniformly white to yellow over the entire carcass with not more than 12 pigmented follicles per carcass; wing tips may appear red

*

7.

Skin

Thin, pliable and free from bruises

Pliable and reasonably free from bruises

*

8.

Abrasions and cuts in the skin

None

Maximum two on the breast and two elsewhere on the carcass

*

9.

Feathers and pin feathers

Not more than five feathers and pin feathers collectively per carcass of which no feather or pin feather may be longer than 25 mm and none may occur on the breast or thighs

Not more than 10 feathers and pin feathers collectively per carcass, of which only two may be longer than 25 mm and none may occur on the breast or thighs

*

10.

Fat covering

A thin, even layer on the breast, back and thighs

Lean or excessive fat covering

*

11.

Freezer burn

Small and unobtrusive in frozen or deep frozen carcasses

Small and unobtrusive in frozen or deep frozen carcasses

*