Can I Eat This? Vacuum sealed raw chicken

September 15, 2022 12:49 PM

I'm getting ready to make chicken tacos and I have some vacuum packed chicken thighs that I bought on Sept 7. Today is the 15th so that's 8 days ago. They have a Sell By Date of Sept 18th. I am really confused about the guidelines for raw chicken in the fridge- usually it is supposed to be 1 to 2 days.

Does vacuum sealing change the raw chicken guidelines? Should I go by the sell-by date? I want to start cooking but I don't want to give my fam food poisoning! Thanks for any info

posted by catrae to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

If it’s still before the sell-by date and it’s been well-refrigerated the whole time, I think you’re fine. 1-2 days is for opened/exposed chicken.
posted by mekily at 1:02 PM on September 15, 2022 [3 favorites]

The store where you bought this would still sell this until September 18th so as long as it's been refrigerated properly I wouldn't have any concern.
posted by jabes at 1:33 PM on September 15, 2022

I would not even worry about making this if it's been in the fridge.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:59 PM on September 15, 2022

Vacuum sealing substantially changes all meat use-by dates in my experience relative to the more normal store packaging, and I've definitely trusted vacuum sealed raw chicken that's within the timeframe you describe.
posted by advil at 2:47 PM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

A lot of sealed, packaged meat is irradiated, and will be good a good long time. In the early ninties i worked in a small restaurant, they had Watsons packaged, cooked turkey breasts and the meat tasted great, like "out of the oven," fresh. The owner told me about the irridiation process then. So later I have bought sealed, packaged fresh tomatoes, which were irradiated, and so long in the box, the tomato seeds have sprouted and are an inch and a half long, with little leaves. Always take a whiff immediately upon opening things, let your gut tell you.
posted by Oyéah at 2:47 PM on September 15, 2022

Are you doing sous vide or are you removing the packaging before cooking? If you're removing the packaging, you'll notice a smell if something is off, and/or a slimy-ness.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 7:33 PM on September 15, 2022