Chicken Handling Q's/Freezing at store

[sear]

Hello everyone.
i know that you supposed to wash you hands after touching raw meat to avoid cross contamination.

however almost every cooking video i watch i constantly see people touching meat and using the same hand to shake seasonings and what not.
am i to believe that they are all disinfecting these containers after their done ?

also ive seen them after handling chicken just wipe their hands off on a towel and then touch everything ...
is this safe ?

also last time we bought a chicken i believe it sat in our fridge for 1 day and then i cut it up ... it was not completely frozen , but there was ice chunks forming on the inside.
my fridge is not that cold.

i asked someone who worked at the store after seeing a package of wings with ice forming inside.
and he just responded "never frozen " and then i mentioned about the ice and he responded the same ..defensively.
is it ok if their system is starting to freeze their chicken or what ?

thanks !

 

[HNLute]

I LOVE chicken, whole, pieces and parts, I know of what you speak. Storage in chain stores runs the gamut, not cool enough to frozen or nearly so, thus the ice in your chicken upon occasion. It might not have seemed it could have been frozen thus the comment by your store-person.
1. Always thaw your chicken in your refrigerator, allow 12-24 hours to thaw.
2. Thoroughly wash your hands before handling the bird or its parts.
3. Upon removing it from the refrigerator, remove from wrapper ad rinse and hand scrub under cold running water, clean out the cavity of any hanging "bits" as well and rinse.
4. Wash your hands AGAIN!
5. Pat the bird dry inside and out with a paper towel.
6. Using regular table salt, liberally apply salt to the birds interior, about 1 tablespoon.
7. Rub exterior surface with 1 Tablespoon common table salt.
8. Wash your hands AGAIN!

The bird is now ready for any operation you wish to apply to it. I like to brine all my birds before any cooking is done to them. It can be roasted as is, stuffed with your stuffing, oiled, buttered or whatever. The oint is to keep your hands and the working surfaces and the bird as clean as you can before cooking, washing and re-washing your hands is the best precaution you can take. Good luck,
HNLute

 

[Michael in FtW]

LOL - we've had several discussions on the apparent disregard for safe food handling practices by cooking demonstrators. It really boils down to the fact that they are demonstrating the preparation of a dish - not a demonstration on how to wash your hands. It is assumed that you already know how to do that so they don't need to keep showing you that aspect of cooking. And, there are some things that go on during the filming of a show that you don't see - like the little ramekin of salt they dipped their dirty chicken fingers in to season the chicken getting changed out for an uncontaminated clean one during the commercial break. The Food Network had a special on the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into filming a show and this is one of the things they mentioned.

Chicken usually sits in refrigerated open cases - so the temperature of the case must be low enough that the food on top is stored at a safe temperature. This is below normal refrigerator temps. So, it is very possible that some ice can be present on the surface of the meat (commonly the inside cavity), as you described, and yet the chicken was never totally frozen - thus, it is technically never frozen just like the guy at the store said.

 

[jennyema]

The USDA (or whomever) allows poultry to be labeled "fresh"/"never frozen" if it has not been held below 26 degrees.

 

[sear]

LOL - we've had several discussions on the apparent disregard for safe food handling practices by cooking demonstrators. It really boils down to the fact that they are demonstrating the preparation of a dish - not a demonstration on how to wash your hands. It is assumed that you already know how to do that so they don't need to keep showing you that aspect of cooking. And, there are some things that go on during the filming of a show that you don't see - like the little ramekin of salt they dipped their dirty chicken fingers in to season the chicken getting changed out for an uncontaminated clean one during the commercial break. The Food Network had a special on the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into filming a show and this is one of the things they mentioned.

Chicken usually sits in refrigerated open cases - so the temperature of the case must be low enough that the food on top is stored at a safe temperature. This is below normal refrigerator temps. So, it is very possible that some ice can be present on the surface of the meat (commonly the inside cavity), as you described, and yet the chicken was never totally frozen - thus, it is technically never frozen just like the guy at the store said.

gotcha, i usually put my seasonings in a coffe cup instead of having to touch every jar.
it just seems like im washing my hands like 3-4 times while making a chicken dish ..guess thats normal.

at the store it was a younger guy who told me that , but wouldnt respond when i said never frozen ... but just starting to freeze ? - "never frozen"

i used to work at a supermarket as well and i wasnt a @#$ when people asked me questions. i got paid x per hour to work there and customers should come first. so if i spend all day helping customers find stuff and didnt get much stuff packed out ... thats just the way it was, i still leave at 5 and the next guy finshes up .....

 

[Michael in FtW]

Yep, apparently the USDA does not consider [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]26°F and above to be frozen. H[/FONT]ere are the regulations - USDA Regulations and Policies: Fresh, "Not Frozen" and Similar Terms when Labeling Meat and Poultry Products

 

[sear]

"Any raw poultry, poultry part, or any edible portion thereof whose internal temperature has ever been below 26 degrees Fahrenheit."

it says any part .. so if the skin freezes ... they cant sell as fresh.
not sure what temp ice is exactly .. 32 ? seems like walking a fine line
maybe ill check with IR temp gauge next time

 

[Andy M.]

"Any raw poultry, poultry part, or any edible portion thereof whose internal temperature has ever been below 26 degrees Fahrenheit."

it says any part .. so if the skin freezes ... they cant sell as fresh.
not sure what temp ice is exactly .. 32 ? seems like walking a fine line
maybe ill check with IR temp gauge next time

Chicken could have been at zero degrees for a month and "they" could still call it fresh, albeit not legally.

 

[sear]

Chicken could have been at zero degrees for a month and "they" could still call it fresh, albeit not legally.

thats what i was thinking ....

do the keep the meat cooler than dairy ? if i remember correctly the open dairy coolers thermostat was always around 35F. in year i worked there i only saw like 3 products that happend to freeze...pretty sure it was ice teas on the top shelf

 

[Michael in FtW]

"Any raw poultry, poultry part, or any edible portion thereof whose internal temperature has ever been below 26 degrees Fahrenheit."

it says any part .. so if the skin freezes ... they cant sell as fresh.
not sure what temp ice is exactly .. 32 ? seems like walking a fine line
maybe ill check with IR temp gauge next time

LOL - read the heading again ... it says:

Fresh, "Not Frozen" and Similar Terms when Labeling Meat and Poultry Products

The word "fresh" may not be used to describe:

 

[sear]

LOL - read the heading again ... it says:

Fresh, "Not Frozen" and Similar Terms when Labeling Meat and Poultry Products

The word "fresh" may not be used to describe:

i know that ... and i said

"it says any part .. so if the skin freezes ... they cant sell as fresh. "

?

 

[Michael in FtW]

Ah, I see - duh! But, I don't think skin will count as an "internal" part.

 

[jennyema]

"Any raw poultry, poultry part, or any edible portion thereof whose internal temperature has ever been below 26 degrees Fahrenheit."

it says any part .. so if the skin freezes ... they cant sell as fresh.
not sure what temp ice is exactly .. 32 ? seems like walking a fine line
maybe ill check with IR temp gauge next time

No. It can freeze and still be called "fresh."

It just can't be held below 26 degrees. The exterior of the chicken will freeze between 26 and 32 degrees. It's still "fresh."

I had a go-round with my meat guy some years ago at Thanksgiving when my "fresh" turkey was partially frozen.

 

[mozart]

gotcha, i usually put my seasonings in a coffe cup instead of having to touch every jar.
it just seems like im washing my hands like 3-4 times while making a chicken dish ..guess thats normal.

Mise en Place will help with handling problems. You only need to wash your hands at the beginning and the end.

 

[sear]

Mise en Place will help with handling problems. You only need to wash your hands at the beginning and the end.

thats french for " someone else does it " isnt it?

unfortunately i am the kitchen staff