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Absolutely cannot be eaten: how to understand that the chicken has already gone bad

Alina MilsentFood
Signs of spoiled chicken. Source: thekitchn.com, Joe Lingeman

Chicken meat can be used to prepare a variety of dishes: from salads or soups to various baking options. Despite rising prices, chicken remains a constant attribute of consumer baskets. Almost every housewife is used to freezing a few pieces of fillet "for future use".

However, you should be careful, because your favorite product can cause a number of diseases. For example, even fresh chicken contains salmonella and other bacteria that can become dangerous if the meat is not properly cooked. There are several easy ways to determine if the chicken you bought in the store has gone bad. The details are reported by The list.

First of all, it should be remembered that chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 1-2 days. After consuming spoiled meat, a person develops fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in the worst cases, it can even lead to death. So, what should you look for when buying chicken?

Odor

The stench of spoiled chicken cannot be confused with anything else. It is particularly pungent and resembles ammonia, sulfur, or rotten eggs. This smell may not be so pronounced if the meat has just begun to deteriorate, so immediately after opening the pack, take a good sniff of the chicken. If in doubt, don't take any chances. It seems like an obvious advice, but in the case of a runny nose or a stuffy nose, the sense of smell deteriorates dramatically. And the consequences of eating spoiled meat can be fatal.

Appearance

Fresh chicken has a light pink color with white fat. However, don't be alarmed if the fillet doesn't seem bright enough: raw chicken fades a little due to exposure to oxygen. When the shelf life expires, the meat turns gray and the fat begins to turn yellow.

When cooked, the chicken turns white and the dark pieces turn dark brown. In this case, there should not be any hint of pink color.

Be sure to pay attention to the structure of the fillet. After washing the chicken, there should be no mucus on it. Of course, raw meat can be a bit slippery, but not after washing and drying. Signs of stickiness on raw or cooked chicken indicate the growth of bacteria. Such meat should be discarded immediately.

How to extend the shelf life of chicken

After the chicken has been stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, the number of bacteria in the meat begins to grow rapidly. Therefore, it must be transferred to the freezer. This applies to both the whole carcass and minced meat, drumsticks, or fillets. When completely frozen, the shelf life increases up to nine months for fillets and up to a year for whole carcasses.

The right chicken will be a delicious and indispensable attribute of the festive table.

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