A total of 105 random samples of chicken cuts up were collected from different super markets located in Menoufiya governorate. The examined samples were breast, thigh and drumsticks (35 of each). The samples were taken as intact units and transferred immediately in an ice box to the laboratory with undue delay in order to investigate their chemical criteria. The obtained results indicated that the mean values of moisture content (%) in the examined samples of chicken breast, thigh and drumsticks were 74.31 ± 0.18, 72.89 ± 0.21 and 71.14 ± 0.16; protein contents (%) were 21.06 ± 0.18, 20.13 ± 0.21 and 18.42 ± 0.16; fat contents (%) were 2.25±0.09, 2.99 ± 0.10 and 4.61 ± 0.13; ash contents (%) were 2.37±0.05, 2.52 ± 0.06 and 3.56 ± 0.09, respectively. Application of some keeping quality tests declared that the mean values of pH ,T V N (mg %) and T B A ( mg %) on the examined samples were 5.91 ± 0.01, 11.29 ± 0.32 and 0.04 ± 0.01 for chicken breast, 5.77± 0.01, 8.10 ± 0.21 and 0.09± 0.01 for thigh and 5.98 ± 0.01, 6.57 ± 0.19 and 0.14 ± 0.01 for chicken drumsticks, respectively. On the other hand, chicken breast had the highest content of Glutamic acid (12.82), Alanine (10.27), Methionine (9.11), Lysine (8.52), Arginine (6.61), Tryptophan (6.29), phenylalanine (4.79) and serine (3.48) than the other examined samples. In the same time, chicken thigh had the highest content of Glycine (14.69), Valine (8.19) and proline (6.01). While chicken drum stick had the highest content only of Leucine (13.45), Aspartic acid (10.12), Threonine (6.55), Tyrosine (5.07) and hydroxyproline. (2.21) Regarding the examined samples of chicken breast , thigh and drumstick, the total unsaturated fatty acids were 46.2%, 42.5% and 39.10%, however the total saturated fatty acids were 53.4%, 57.5% and 60.9% and the ratios between them were 0.91, 0.74 and 0.64 , respectively.

KEY WORDS: Chemical analysis, chicken cuts-up, shelf life, spoilage.