Is it spoiled?

Post by **GORDON** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:35 pm

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bought 5 days before the "best by" date.

Put into the freezer immediately.

No power outages, chicken remained frozen for 3 weeks until thawed.

Due to poor planning, we didn't get around to eating the chicken that night. Chicken spent next 4 days refrigerated, in its original packaging.

Raw chicken did not smell rancid in the slightest.

Is the chicken now unsafe to eat? The wife says it is unsafe, but 3 hours after I ate chicken fajitas, I feel fine.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:44 pm

FDA says

Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria & Parasites?
Freezing to 0 °F inactivates any microbes — bacteria, yeasts and molds — present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food.

So sounds like frozen means you still have it 5 days before best by date.

How many days after putting in the fridge would you eat restaurant leftovers?

Edited By TheCatt on 1335141884

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:13 pm

I'd say you were fine with any chicken part in that scenario, but I'd say that boneless/skinless breasts would last even longer.

That best-by date is just a guideline and grocery stores will often examine expired chicken and relabel it with a later date if it looks and smells okay.
This is completely legal and a standard practice. I've seen it on TV, and I have been able to see stickers with old dates under the new stickers when shopping.

You are fine. Don't worry about it at all. Just make sure it's cooked to 170 degrees.

Post by **thibodeaux** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:24 am

My general rule with food is: if you cook it good enough, the germs are dead.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:48 am

All of these answers are fine.

My wife's retaliatory Facebook post has all these crazy-ass women agreeing with her, "Ew no after 2 days I throw it away."

Bitches be crazy.

I don't even think a clean bacterial culture would convince them.

Edited By GORDON on 1335185345

Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:01 am

Yeah, I saw her FB... my wife said "3 days tops"...

Women.

I guess they're the ying to men's yang... or something.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:03 am

TheCatt wrote:Yeah, I saw her FB... my wife said "3 days tops"...

Women.

I guess they're the ying to men's yang... or something.

The are the insanity to a man's sanity.

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:31 am

Bah, as long as you cook it it's fine. Just scrape off any mold and put some fire to it, that's what I do.

Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:39 am

I will say this, I don't like my meat overcooked. I like my chicken juicy, but not pink. I like my steak red and purple. So... if there's something a little off, I'm not eating it. But I balance that against: I survived Mexico, and lord knows there was basically no rules on food in the small town I was in, so things here probably aren't going to kill me.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:17 pm

I don't think there is a lot of room for discussion.... meat kept at a safe X degrees will not spoil in 4 days, as long as it was uncontaminated to begin with. And in the case of borderline cases, there is the smell test. Health inspectors often use their noses when inspecting a meat cooler, at least they used to.

It's just facts. Women ignore them. My homemade fajitas are delicious.

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:37 pm

Next time tell her she is welcome to not eat it, which just means more fajitas for you.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:39 pm

TPRJones wrote:Next time tell her she is welcome to not eat it, which just means more fajitas for you.

But it irritates me.

1. Having an insane wife is upsetting.

2. I am worried her insanity could be transferred to my son, like an airborne virus.

3. She wouldn't let me son eat the safe, delicious fajitas.

Post by **thibodeaux** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:04 pm

Spoilage bacteria are harmless.

Pathogenic bacteria, on the other hand...

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:35 pm

GORDON wrote:1. Having an insane wife is upsetting.

2. I am worried her insanity could be transferred to my son, like an airborne virus.

3. She wouldn't let me son eat the safe, delicious fajitas.

1. The main problem there is she's a woman. Almost all of them are like that. Maybe you should have married a man.

2. He's not a woman, so he should be fine on this point.

3. That is sad. Be sure your son knows just how delicious those fajitas were, and whose crazy idea it was that led to his not having any. That should help further with #2.

Post by **thibodeaux** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:59 pm

In Little House on the Prairie (the book), the family all get malaria REALLY BAD. Like, they can't get out of bed, and Laura is the only one who can even crawl to the water bucket to get a ladle full of water. Eventually a Negro doctor shows up with some quinine.

ANYWAY, Ma blames the malaria on watermelons. Pa thinks that's dumb, and the first thing he does after they recover from the fever is chow down on a watermelon in front of the whole family. Ma won't eat any, and won't let the girls have any either.

I guess the point is, even pioneer women had a touch of the crazy.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:08 pm

Ha.

My wife loves that show.

Post by **thibodeaux** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:08 am

I said BOOK, not SHOW! The show sucked.