Chicken meat is one of the most popular foods, but also the most common food to give people food poisoning. There’s a chance that you have either experienced it first hand or know someone who’s been through this – it’s not pretty.
You might love to enjoy grilled, roasted, or cooked chicken from Poultry Farms, but the fact remains the same that chicken gives the worst food poisoning. Most of the time, it’s because the chicken has been in your refrigerator for longer than it should be and should not have been eaten.
When Does Chicken Become Unsafe?
Chicken can be old and safe at the same time. Whether it’s safe to consume or not depends on the state of the chicken. If the chicken is in raw form, you can store it for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, and it’ll be safe to use. Raw chicken older than 2 days that’s not frozen can be harmful to eat.
If the chicken is cooked and kept in the refrigerator, eat it within 4 days. Raw or cooked chicken in frozen condition can be six months old, but you can still eat it without encountering any health hazards. Raw and whole frozen chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to one year.
What Could Happen To Old Chicken?
When chicken goes past its “best by” date, it starts to experience bacterial growth. That’s when it becomes contaminated and unsafe for consumption. Eating spoiled chicken causes foodborne illness, which is also known as food poisoning.
Two types of bacteria make chicken unsafe; Campylobacter and Salmonella.
These bacteria are commonly found in meat, poultry, eggs, and unpasteurized milk. Both of the bacteria live in the intestine of chickens and other animals that are raised on farms.
How Can Old Chicken Cause Chicken Food Poisoning?
When Fresh Chicken is left to get old, it experiences bacterial growth and becomes unsafe for consumption. The health implications of eating such chicken include an upset stomach, vomiting, and other food poisoning symptoms.
How Does Chicken Food Poisoning Occur?
When the chicken is not prepared properly for freezing, it becomes old earlier than it should be. Not properly defrosting the chicken and cooking it improperly after it has been in the freezer for a long time can also make it unsafe for consumption.
Below are some ways chicken food poisoning occur:
- When juices from raw chicken drop onto the cooked chicken meal, it becomes contaminated.
- If the chicken is not cooked at the right temperature, the bacteria might be alive which can cause food poisoning.
- In case the chicken is not allowed to cook for the right duration of time, it becomes unsafe to eat.
- Not properly defrosting the frozen chicken can be the cause of chicken food poisoning.
- Preparing fresh chicken and cooked chicken on the same chopping board.
- Chicken that has gone past its “best by” date.
What Are The Symptoms Of Chicken Food Poisoning?
From the time you have consumed contaminated chicken to when the symptoms appear, this duration is called the “incubation period”. Typically, the symptoms of food poisoning appear within 24 hours.
The symptoms include:
- Fever
- Abdominal pains
- Upset stomach
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you experience any of these symptoms after eating chicken, then make sure to take appropriate measures like visiting the hospital and staying hydrated.
For more information about South African Poultry, visit Grain Field Chickens. They deliver the best quality chicken that meets the health safety standards for serving you in the best possible way.
