Any Way to Tell if Raw Chicken is Bad?

[thecactuswill]

Besides the 'sell by' date of course... Any surefire way to tell?

 

[pdswife]

SMELL it!!

 

[thecactuswill]

But raw chicken always has a slight odor to it doesn't it? Even a fresh new package from the store, I can smell a hint of something or other... After all, if you can't smell a dead creature, something must be wrong with your nose right?

 

[middie]

Believe me... you'll KNOW if it smells bad !

 

[Gretchen]

Yes indeed. NO doubt at all. Talking about spoilage of course--not bacterial disease presence.

 

[GB]

We are not talking about a

slight odor

We are talking about a strong bad smell.

 

[ella/TO]

It STINKS!!!!!!

 

[pdswife]

really really stinks a lot.

 

[VeraBlue]

the normal chicken colour will have tinged to grey and it will smell really bad.

Really really bad

 

[BreezyCooking]

To be honest, I wouldn't have raw chicken sitting in my fridge so long that it was tinged with grey & smelled really bad.

I only hold raw poultry in the fridge - or any other raw meat for that matter - for 3 days tops. If I'm not going to use it within that time, it goes into the freezer or the trash. As far as fresh fish, if I'm not going to cook it the same day I purchase it, it's definitely cooked the following day.

 

[TexanFrench]

Raw chicken that is spoiling is slimier than it should be, grayish, and smells. But frankly, if it is past the sell-by date, I wouldn't use it at all. You don't want to deal with food poisoning, at any level! (My mother-in-law used to be "too economical" to throw out old food, and she would eat all the stuff she wouldn't serve the family. She also had lots of tummy aches and vomiting attacks and what-not. Not that she ever linked being sick to her stomach with eating old food... sigh...)

When I buy chicken I can't cook today or tomorrow, it goes into the freezer.

 

[VeraBlue]

To be honest, I wouldn't have raw chicken sitting in my fridge so long that it was tinged with grey & smelled really bad.

I only hold raw poultry in the fridge - or any other raw meat for that matter - for 3 days tops. If I'm not going to use it within that time, it goes into the freezer or the trash. As far as fresh fish, if I'm not going to cook it the same day I purchase it, it's definitely cooked the following day.

Did I suggest in some way that you would have chicken sitting around that long? Or are you considering that I would? Interesting that of all the responses that indicated a way to ascertain if chicken had spoiled or not, you chose mine to quote, and with a touch of disdain... It seems that many people know how to distinguish bad poultry from good. I wouldn't presume to suggest that all of those posters had rotting poultry in their fridge, would you?

 

[mudbug]

It's that sweetish smell that tips me off.

 

[BreezyCooking]

That's not what I meant at all VeraBlue, & certainly not with "disdain".

What I meant was that regardless of color or smell, I consider raw poultry/meat sitting in my fridge to be past its prime after 3 days. It would be long gone before it had a chance to turn grey or smell.

I think that anyone here would realize that a raw piece of poultry that was sitting around so long that it had turned grey & smelled wasn't fit to eat. That's what I found odd about your post. I could be wrong, but I think the original poster was looking for time frames or distinctions that could be made long before the poultry was turning rotten, which is what I would take grey & smelly to be.

I'm sorry if you found my post offensive.

 

[GB]

I could be wrong, but I think the original poster was looking for time frames or distinctions that could be made long before the poultry was turning rotten

Actually the original posters question was "Any Way to Tell if Raw Chicken is Bad?"

I think grey & smelly would fit that bill.

 

[thegrova]

Bad or 'not bad' becomes a bit questionable as does degrees of 'freshness'.. I would go by the three day rule too. Anything that was either slimy, smelt unusual, was discolored or had an unusual texture would be discarded, yes even if it was still within the best by date. There are various degrees of food poisoning and it is too easy to suffer without the typical 'tummy upset' symptioms. If there is any doubt I just throw it out!

 

[YT2095]

offer it to your cat, if they wont go near it, it`s bad!

 

[rockettman]

Ok, I have a question. I had some chicken (about 7lbs.) that I put in the fridge, but accidently left the fridge door cracked (slightly). My wife said the milk was room temperature the next morning. I smelled the chicken and couldn't tell if it was bad or not so I just froze it. If I defrost it can I still smell it to see if it was bad or should I just chunk it?

 

[GB]

It is trash. It the milk was room temp then so was the chicken and that is only safe for about 2 hours.

 

[rockettman]

Great - thanks for the fast reply