Most poultry is packaged in material that reduces exposure to air. However, in time the skin will still dry out and become discolored. If drying has occurred, the size of the areas is taken into consideration as a discoloration. Discolorations are categorized as slight, lightly shaded, or moderate. Slight discolorations are generally pinkish in color and usually do not detract from the appearance of the product. Lightly shaded discolorations are generally reddish in color and usually confined to areas of the skin or the surface of the flesh. Moderately shaded discolorations are areas that are generally dark red or bluish, or are areas of flesh bruising.

Bruises in the flesh are permitted only to the extent that there is no coagulation or clotting of blood cells. Small clots in the skin or on the surface of the flesh may be cut to allow them to leach out in the chilling process. Such cuts would be taken into consideration in determining the quality. Dark blue or green bruises must be removed before grading. Excessive grade loss because of bruises should be called to the attention of management.

The intensity of the yellow finish on chicken is not a quality factor. The presence of yellow skin occurs genetically when a caratenoid pigment is deposited in the epidermal layer of skin. The yellow skin color is commonly intensified by incorporating pigments known as xanthophylls into the bird’s diet. If poultry firms scald poultry at lower temperatures (124 to 126 °F), the epidermal layer of skin (cuticle) remains on the chicken and its yellow appearance is enhanced. For the fast-food market wanting batter/breaded fried products or for customers preferring a lighter appearance on poultry, firms will scald poultry at higher temperatures (132 to 136 °F) to remove the cuticle. This enhances the bonding of the batter/breading to the chicken skin, but extra precautions must be taken to reduce the exposure of the product to air.