Experts have revealed exactly how long you can keep raw and cooked chicken in the fridge without running the risk of food poisoning, and it’s much longer than most people think
Experts have revealed exactly how long your beloved chicken wings will last.
Whether it’s a cling-filmed plate of roast chicken from your Sunday roast, or a Tupperware box of drumsticks from dinner – we’ve all had that moment of hesitation when it comes to eating leftover meat. Most of us play it safe, opting to discard the food despite its high price point to steer clear of food poisoning. According to the Food Standards Agency, fridges and chilled display equipment should be set at 8C or below, and foods should be kept in ‘clean, sealed’ containers to prevent it from spoiling. This does not stop bacterial growth altogether, but dramatically slows it down.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that chicken salad, chicken nuggets and patties, and leftover cooked (roasted, sautéed, fried) chicken, that has been cooled quickly and covered properly, can be stored for three to four days before being consumed. Fully cooked chicken sausages and lunch meat can last for a couple more days due to the high levels of sodium that help preserve it.
However, in the UK, no governmental body recommends keeping cooked chicken in the fridge for anything more than two days – even if it shows no sign of spoiling. If your chicken has been cooked and frozen, it should be used within 24 hours and should be reheated and piping hot before being consumed.
When it comes to raw chicken, it is best following the advice on the use-by-date and bin any foods that have expired. It is still worth looking out for signs of spoilage and err on the side of caution to prevent yourself from getting ill. This includes searching for a grey or green colour to the meat and changes to the smell, which might whiff of sour ammonia.
Jane Cook of Hungry City Hippy told Woman and Home that it’s best to freeze chicken if you’re unsure whether you’ll have time to consume it all before the two-day mark. “You can freeze cooked chicken for a long time,” she said. “But, it will taste best if eaten within three to six months. If it’s frozen for longer it will still be safe to eat, but the texture may have changed slightly.”
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