Listed below are ingredients which are commonly added to turkey and chicken products. Next to each ingredient is a description of hoe the product is used to enhace poultry.

Salt - Flavors, helps bind, retains moisture and extends shelf life. Common usage: 1.4 - 1.7%

Sugar – Flavors product; helps offset sharp flavor of salt. Common usage: .7 - .8%

Dextrose – Flavors product; a filler. Twice as much needed to equal sweetness of sugar. Common usage: 1.4 – 1.7%

Corn Syrup Solids - Flavors product; a filler. Three times as much needed to equal sweetness of sugar. Common usage: 1.4 – 3%

Sodium Phosphate – Helps retain moisture, bind and prevent staleness or rancidity. Maximum usage: .5%

Modified Food Starch, Vegetable Starch – Help retain moisture. Products add bulk, are not dissolvable and cause stretch marks. Common usage: .5 – 3%.

Carrageenan – Excellent for moisture retention. Compared to food and vegetable starch, less bulky and dissolvable. Common usage: .25 – 1%

Non-fat Dry Milk, Calcium Reduced Dry Milk, Sodium Caseinate – Used to retain moisture; add sweetness; fair water binding agents. 1 – 3%

Milk Protein Hydrolysate – Can be labeled Flavoring or Natural Flavoring; excellent for moisture retention. Common usage: 1 – 3%

Soy Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate – Good moisture and fat binding; generally used in rolls containing a significant amount of turkey skin. Common usage: 1 – 3%

H.V.P., Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein – Flavoring agents; no binding abilities

Sodium Nitrite, Sodium Nitrate – Form pink color in cured meats, extend shelf life, reduce chance of contamination.

Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Ascorbate, Citric Acid – Speed pinking when used with nitrite or nitrate; stabilize color.

Natural Smoke Flavoring, Smoke Flavoring – Liquid or powdered smoke flavoring added before cooking; add smoke flavor but no color.

Potassium Chloride – Salt substitute used for reducing total sodium; has bitter taste and not as effective as sodium chloride.

T.V.P., Textured Vegetable Protein – Granular soy nuggets; used as filler in turkey rolls. Common usage: 3-5%

Flavorings – Soluble seasonings such as extractives of celery, pepper and paprika.

Spices – Natural ground spices such as ground mustard and ground pepper.