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Original poster

I'm cooking chicken that smells quite iffy...

84 replies

Diamondinthewoof · 17/06/2021 19:01

Use by date was yesterday but did smell bad. I was unsure weather to use it but plonked in on top of my prepared veg and harissa mix. Spoke to my husband and said I have two options. Either to chuck the lot out or cook and then see what it's like but that the bacteria would be dead/null cooking at 180+.
So I've done it. Dinner will be ready soon.

Wish me luck

OP posts:
Original poster
Diamondinthewoof · 17/06/2021 19:30

@bowtieandheels

I do it all the time, it's fine!
Even when it smells pretty off?! Cause I don't mind a bit of a chickeny smell but this really did make me think "pretty sure that's off"
OP posts:
faithfulbird20 · 17/06/2021 19:30

As someone whose had very bad food poisoning with 52 doses of antibiotics in a foreign country I'd bin it.

We had chicken that smelt bad yesterday and in the bin it went. I wouldn't risk it.

Original poster
Diamondinthewoof · 17/06/2021 19:31

@JemimaTab

I’m glad you’ve decided not to risk it. I don’t think it’s worth it with chicken. For what it’s worth, I had some chicken this last week that went off before its use by date - I think it may be to do with the hot weather (which must have affected it on its short journey from the supermarket fridge to my fridge). I was tempted at first to make the best of it, but it just didn’t smell right and I had to throw it out.
Yes I do think the day I bought the chicken was a very got day so maybe it was the car journey not that it was a long one but yeh...could have contributed to it
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General food
ForbiddenAppleEatingShits · 17/06/2021 19:32

Vom.

I'd have binned if it smelled bad wether it's in date or not.

Plinkplonk1234 · 17/06/2021 19:34

Glad someone else mentioned about the toxins. Also it is never worth the risk as many people suffer IBS and ongoing stomach issues after a bout of food poisoning. I also have read of sepsis as a result of an infection from gone off seafood. Obviously I would never risk it having suffered horrendous food poisoning myself years ago from coleslaw a day over it's date.

halcyondays · 17/06/2021 19:34

I don’t know why you would even have considered using it if it smelt bad.

Original poster
Diamondinthewoof · 17/06/2021 19:40

I actually feel really unwell.
Could just be set in my mind though...surely nothing would happen so soon? I prepped it at around 4.30pm

OP posts:
ElaborateSalad · 17/06/2021 19:42

I'd eat chicken past its date if it didn't smell bad, but I wouldn't dream of eating stinky chicken, regardless of whether or not it was in date.

Leaveitonthefloordrobe · 17/06/2021 19:45

I had some chicken that was within its use by date but smelt off. I started cooking it just to see but the smell got worse so in the bin it went. Even if the seal's slightly broken it can start going off. Ugh, it was a really distinctive smell. This is why our sense if smell is so important. I do feel for those who have lost it.

NcagainNC · 17/06/2021 19:50

Nope, not too soon. Hope you feel better!

Couchbettato · 17/06/2021 19:52

I'm not a sciencey person by any stretch but I thought the harmful bit was what the bacteria left behind, so killing the bacteria wouldn't necessarily do very much if it had time to proliferate.

I'm probably wrong though, and I totally accept that what I was told growing up may be wrong.

Crunchymum · 17/06/2021 19:58

@Diamondinthewoof

I actually feel really unwell. Could just be set in my mind though...surely nothing would happen so soon? I prepped it at around 4.30pm
But you didn't actually eat any did you? So it can't have poisoned you?
FillerAngel · 17/06/2021 20:01

As someone who routinely ignores sell by dates for milk / cheese / biscuits / cheese / onions / most veg especially cauliflower / flour / basically everything…. After I ignored a chicken sell by date in favour of one day I had the worst shits. It smelt off, the flesh was grey when cooked and the cooked smell was dreadful. Don’t do it to yourself!

purplecorkheart · 17/06/2021 20:02

I do not by chicken from the supermarket anymore as I have often found that it smells off before use by date. (different stores and different fridges at home) Please do not take the risk with off chicken. Or if you are stock up on sudacream and soft toilet paper

phodopus · 17/06/2021 20:03

Cooking doesn't make off food safe. When bacteria grow to unsafe levels they excrete toxins. The bacteria will be killed but the toxins won't be and they can make you very sick.

We have a sense of smell for a reason. It's to detect dangers like gone off meat. I can't understand why people don't use it. Eating out of date chicken that smells fine is one thing, but a bad smell is literally your nose telling you that something is not right with this food.

AlwaysLatte · 17/06/2021 20:03

Why are you trusting a forum rather than your nose? It's what it's for!!

phodopus · 17/06/2021 20:04

@Diamondinthewoof

I actually feel really unwell. Could just be set in my mind though...surely nothing would happen so soon? I prepped it at around 4.30pm
The kind of food poisoning that might be caused by gone off chicken tends to happen within a few hours so yes it could be the chicken.
Champagneforeveryone · 17/06/2021 20:07

I see you've made a sensible choice. I'm extremely laissez faire about dates but your post had even me recoiling Grin

Dementedswan · 17/06/2021 20:07

I thought you didn't eat it?

otterbaby · 17/06/2021 20:11

OP said she took a bite to test it. Sometimes that's all it takes. Hope it's all in your head Sad

JemimaTab · 17/06/2021 20:12

@FillerAngel

As someone who routinely ignores sell by dates for milk / cheese / biscuits / cheese / onions / most veg especially cauliflower / flour / basically everything…. After I ignored a chicken sell by date in favour of one day I had the worst shits. It smelt off, the flesh was grey when cooked and the cooked smell was dreadful. Don’t do it to yourself!
I agree - I also largely ignore use-by dates for veg and dairy and play it by ear (or nose). Lots of veg lasts for absolutely ages if stored right (cabbage for example), as does most cheese and dry goods. Even some meat lasts longer than you’d think. But I’d never risk it with chicken or fish.
BoredOfThisShit · 17/06/2021 20:18

You took one bite and spat it out…

Christ, if you feel ill from that,
You should count yourself very lucky you didn't eat it

And bacteria dont die with the heat of the oven

GiveMeAllTheGin8 · 18/06/2021 10:16

Oh no op! After one bite! Did you survive the night ?!

MrsFlinch · 18/06/2021 11:04

I can’t believe you even risked taking a bite. We also largely ignore use by dates for most stuff but when it comes to meat and chicken especially then it’s a big no.

Dh has tried cooking chicken that is on the turn thinking it’ll be ok once cooked but it’s always ended up in the bin.
He once tried feeding the chicken to the cats and even they won’t eat it!

His sense of smell is a bit off so gets me to smell everything before cooking now (menopausal bloodhound nose!) and if I even get a whiff of anything it gets chucked!

I hope you feel ok now!

Champagneforeveryone · 18/06/2021 18:00

There's an ominous lack of responses from the OP Confused

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