Knowra White meat White meat White meat is meat that remains relatively pale when cooked, especially poultry breast. Culinary usage may also include pork and some fish, though classifications vary.
Myoglobin : An oxygen-binding protein in muscle that contributes to meat’s red or dark color. Lower myoglobin levels help explain the pale color of many white-meat cuts.
Dark meat : Meat with relatively high myoglobin content and a darker cooked appearance, especially poultry legs. It is the principal poultry contrast to pale breast meat.
Poultry : Domesticated birds raised for their meat or eggs, including chickens, turkeys, and ducks. Poultry supplies the most familiar white-meat cuts.
Processed meat : Meat preserved or altered by curing, salting, smoking, fermentation, or similar processes. Processing status is separate from whether meat is called white or red.
Skeletal muscle : Striated muscle attached to bones that produces voluntary movement. Meat is skeletal muscle, whose structure and use influence color and texture.
Chicken breast : The pectoral muscle of a chicken, commonly sold as a pale, lean cut of meat. It is the standard culinary example of white meat.
Turkey breast : The pectoral muscle of a turkey, commonly eaten as a pale, relatively lean meat. It is another prominent example of white meat from poultry.
Cancer epidemiology : The study of cancer patterns and causes across populations. Research compares meat types, but findings depend on how categories are defined.
Fast-twitch muscle : Muscle fibers specialized for rapid, powerful contractions and relatively brief activity. Poultry breast contains many fibers suited to short bursts of flight.
Chicken thigh : A chicken leg cut containing muscles used for sustained movement, typically darker and richer than breast. Its darker color shows how muscle function distinguishes cuts within one bird.
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