Is This Still Safe To Eat?

[mickeysgal]

From a budget point of view, which is worse?

1) A loss of $25 worth of chicken
2) The cost of an emergency room visit times the number of people who ate bad chicken.

Yep, this.

 

[FayeW]

If some still felt chilled then I would still cook them. In that situation I wouldn't have a problem with trying them. I am pretty flexible with how long things are still left out, though. Usually on these threads people are throwing out things that I routinely cook with or consume.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I've always heard "when in doubt, toss it out"... I definitely wouldn't be eating it.

 

[cornflake]

If some still felt chilled then I would still cook them. In that situation I wouldn't have a problem with trying them. I am pretty flexible with how long things are still left out, though. Usually on these threads people are throwing out things that I routinely cook with or consume.

The problem with this is that the human hand isn't an accurate thermometer, it's a relative one. It's summer, it's hot out. The OP said by 8pm it had "cooled down" and was "probably" around 75 in the trunk of the car.

So if it's hot out, and you go out and put your hand on chicken, which is flesh itself, that's, say, 80 degrees, it will feel cool to your 98-degree hand in the hot weather. That doesn't mean the chicken is at anything even approaching a safe temperature, if you see what I'm saying.

 

[FayeW]

The problem with this is that the human hand isn't an accurate thermometer, it's a relative one. It's summer, it's hot out. The OP said by 8pm it had "cooled down" and was "probably" around 75 in the trunk of the car.

So if it's hot out, and you go out and put your hand on chicken, which is flesh itself, that's, say, 80 degrees, it will feel cool to your 98-degree hand in the hot weather. That doesn't mean the chicken is at anything even approaching a safe temperature, if you see what I'm saying.

I understand what you are saying. She bought it at 8:00 PM, and by her calculations it was about 75 degrees at the time. It didn't stay 75 degrees, it got a lot cooler over the next few hours while it was in the trunk. To me, that would be the equivalent of leaving it on the counter for a few hours. I've certainly done that on more than one occasion. I routinely take something from the freezer and leave it on the counter all day to defrost.

I would still cook the chicken.

 

[monkeyboy]

I will take it.

What temp was trunk?



Cook right away and you may be ok

 

[Coconut36]

I understand what you are saying. She bought it at 8:00 PM, and by her calculations it was about 75 degrees at the time. It didn't stay 75 degrees, it got a lot cooler over the next few hours while it was in the trunk. To me, that would be the equivalent of leaving it on the counter for a few hours. I've certainly done that on more than one occasion. I routinely take something from the freezer and leave it on the counter all day to defrost.

I would still cook the chicken.

I am sure you know that from a food safety standpoint you should never thaw on the counter. Inconsistent temperatures above safe storing temps are a breeding ground for bacteria. Yeah yeah..people have done it and not gotten sick but it only takes that 1 time for your family to end up the in ER. I can't believe you are actually arguing in favor of someone preparing and eating chicken left for 5 hours in the trunk of a car (trunks being a hot area of a vehicle..what was the temp in the trunk after it sat in the sun while they were in Costco? What about the drive home?).

 

[Allison]

I am sure you know that from a food safety standpoint you should never thaw on the counter. Inconsistent temperatures above safe storing temps are a breeding ground for bacteria. Yeah yeah..people have done it and not gotten sick but it only takes that 1 time for your family to end up the in ER. I can't believe you are actually arguing in favor of someone preparing and eating chicken left for 5 hours in the trunk of a car (trunks being a hot area of a vehicle..what was the temp in the trunk after it sat in the sun while they were in Costco? What about the drive home?).

I'm with you.

 

[marmalade]

I understand what you are saying. She bought it at 8:00 PM, and by her calculations it was about 75 degrees at the time. It didn't stay 75 degrees, it got a lot cooler over the next few hours while it was in the trunk. To me, that would be the equivalent of leaving it on the counter for a few hours. I've certainly done that on more than one occasion. I routinely take something from the freezer and leave it on the counter all day to defrost.

I would still cook the chicken.

You would leave raw meat, not frozen and defrosting, but raw meat on the counter for 5hrs in the summer and still eat it?

 

[ols386]

Oh my gosh, pitch it.

I would never eat anything like that after it had sat in warm temperatures for any length of time.

 

[FayeW]

You would leave raw meat, not frozen and defrosting, but raw meat on the counter for 5hrs in the summer and still eat it?

Probably. I'm sure I have in the past. It depends on how I felt about it when I opened it. If it looked and smelled okay I would, if it didn't, I wouldn't.

Really, everybody has their own tolerance for these things. The OP asked if we thought it was still safe, I said I'd cook it and see. YMMV

 

[FayeW]

I am sure you know that from a food safety standpoint you should never thaw on the counter. Inconsistent temperatures above safe storing temps are a breeding ground for bacteria. Yeah yeah..people have done it and not gotten sick but it only takes that 1 time for your family to end up the in ER. I can't believe you are actually arguing in favor of someone preparing and eating chicken left for 5 hours in the trunk of a car (trunks being a hot area of a vehicle..what was the temp in the trunk after it sat in the sun while they were in Costco? What about the drive home?).

Not arguing. You quoted me and I answered you. That is what I would do, have done in the past, and in all likelihood will continue to do in the future. I will also continue to defrost food on the counter and leave my turkey out overnight to thaw before I stuff it for Christmas dinner. Whatever works for you is fine with me.

 

[Ceila]

I'm sorry, but I can't believe this is even a question. Throw it out.

 

[cornflake]

I understand what you are saying. She bought it at 8:00 PM, and by her calculations it was about 75 degrees at the time. It didn't stay 75 degrees, it got a lot cooler over the next few hours while it was in the trunk. To me, that would be the equivalent of leaving it on the counter for a few hours. I've certainly done that on more than one occasion. I routinely take something from the freezer and leave it on the counter all day to defrost.

I would still cook the chicken.

It may have gotten cooler outside, or it may not - the other day it was 91 at 11pm here. I'm not in Idaho but I'm not in the south or anything either. I just mean there's no guarantee it cooled particularly further.

In addition, the last place to cool down is the trunk of the car, it's sealed, it's insulated, it holds heat (which depends also on colour of car, how hot the car was, etc., obv.). Even if it cooled another 10 degrees outside I wouldn't bet it did anything to the trunk temp.

And... OP didn't say the chicken had been frozen. Even if it had, I'd have said to chuck it but if it was just from the refrigerated section, I say again...

I realize you do what you do and haven't, as far as you've associated (as a ton of 'stomach flu' [as there really is no such thing] cases in this country are actually food poisoning), gotten sick and whatever, no one is telling you what to do, but science says what you're advocating (even if we're talking about just frozen) is dangerous.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

From a budget point of view, which is worse?

1) A loss of $25 worth of chicken
2) The cost of an emergency room visit times the number of people who ate bad chicken.

 

[iheartmickey1111]

From a budget point of view, which is worse?

1) A loss of $25 worth of chicken
2) The cost of an emergency room visit times the number of people who ate bad chicken.

lmao, we have really good insurance (military so we dont pay anything)...but yes, I tossed out all the chicken and wanted to cry today when I had to go back and buy more. But I can pretty much guarantee that I will NEVER forget the darn chicken again!!

 

[Coconut36]

It may have gotten cooler outside, or it may not - the other day it was 91 at 11pm here. I'm not in Idaho but I'm not in the south or anything either. I just mean there's no guarantee it cooled particularly further.

In addition, the last place to cool down is the trunk of the car, it's sealed, it's insulated, it holds heat (which depends also on colour of car, how hot the car was, etc., obv.). Even if it cooled another 10 degrees outside I wouldn't bet it did anything to the trunk temp.

And... OP didn't say the chicken had been frozen. Even if it had, I'd have said to chuck it but if it was just from the refrigerated section, I say again...

I realize you do what you do and haven't, as far as you've associated (as a ton of 'stomach flu' [as there really is no such thing] cases in this country are actually food poisoning), gotten sick and whatever, no one is telling you what to do, but science says what you're advocating (even if we're talking about just frozen) is dangerous.

All extremely well said and the bold especially!

 

[bdcp]

Probably. I'm sure I have in the past. It depends on how I felt about it when I opened it. If it looked and smelled okay I would, if it didn't, I wouldn't.

Really, everybody has their own tolerance for these things. The OP asked if we thought it was still safe, I said I'd cook it and see. YMMV

Just because it doesn't smell bad doesn't mean it's okay to eat. Neither does appearance. Cooking it and eating it is one way to tell if it's safe, I guess, but a risky one. Looking at it won't prove anything either.

My father was a research chemist and he made sure my mom was always careful with food. The only time we ever had food poisoning was after eating food someone else prepared.

So many people think that mild gastrointestinal illnesses they have had are just viruses, when in reality, they have food poisoning. My DH's mother used to defrost stuff on the counter til it was warm. My DH spent a lot of time growing up having "stomach bugs" a lot more often than was normal and he's convinced it was his mom's food handling instead. Once he moved out, he quit getting them, hmmmm.

 

[Allison]

Just because it doesn't smell bad doesn't mean it's okay to eat. Neither does appearance. Cooking it and eating it is one way to tell if it's safe, I guess, but a risky one. Looking at it won't prove anything either.

My father was a research chemist and he made sure my mom was always careful with food. The only time we ever had food poisoning was after eating food someone else prepared.

So many people think that mild gastrointestinal illnesses they have had are just viruses, when in reality, they have food poisoning. My DH's mother used to defrost stuff on the counter til it was warm. My DH spent a lot of time growing up having "stomach bugs" a lot more often than was normal and he's convinced it was his mom's food handling instead. Once he moved out, he quit getting them, hmmmm.

I believe the same thing about the "bugs" I had as a kid.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

lmao, we have really good insurance (military so we dont pay anything)...but yes, I tossed out all the chicken and wanted to cry today when I had to go back and buy more. But I can pretty much guarantee that I will NEVER forget the darn chicken again!!

Think of it this way. If you/and your family are lying on the floor sick as a dog. Would you pay $25 to get out of that?

You did the right thing, don't worry about it. We all do stuff like that from time to time.