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AIBU?

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Original poster

Oh fuck!! Fridge at at least 9 degrees, turkey inside.

112 replies

Flowersandhearts · 24/12/2021 19:33

I have (diagnosed) severe OCD and emetophobia (vomit phobia) so this is a nightmare. We are staying in a holiday rental and I set the fridge to 2 degrees but someone turned it down to 'super' when the fresh turkey and pigs in blankets arrived yesterday morning, which frustratingly turns it up a lot.
I've been really busy and only just found out now. Items from the fridge don't feel cold and a meat thermometer is reading the air temperature at 9.5ish. I am so worried about food poisoning :-(

The rest of the family are not willing to forego our Christmas Dinner (I'm living with family so it's not my call to make and don't have kids of my own) but I think I'll avoid eating it. How likely do you think it is that everyone is going to get sick?

OP posts:
worriedandannoyed · 24/12/2021 21:21

@WrongWayApricot

I'm the same as you, also diagnosed. Wouldn't be eating any of it. Would also be preparing to sleep in the car if everyone gets ill, the sounds and suffering would send me over the edge. Don't think I could sit at the table either tbh. I'm so sorry this has happened to you SadFlowers
Nothing is happening to her. She's getting herself worked up over something that is fine. Absolutely 100% fine as per everyone else's posts. Your comments validate her worries
Clymene · 24/12/2021 21:24

@WrongWayApricot

I'm the same as you, also diagnosed. Wouldn't be eating any of it. Would also be preparing to sleep in the car if everyone gets ill, the sounds and suffering would send me over the edge. Don't think I could sit at the table either tbh. I'm so sorry this has happened to you SadFlowers
No one is going to be puking. Please don't let your mental illness ruin everyone else's Christmas. It's really unfair.

And same goes for you OP. Sit in your bedroom with a cheese sandwich if you can't bear to be around other people enjoying their Christmas dinner

Getyourjinglebellsinarow · 24/12/2021 21:24

You need to leave the door shut, you're letting warm air in. You're cooking everything right? It'll be fine. If you don't want to eat it then thats one thing, but you can't stop others from doing so. But it'll be fine, not much bacteria can grow in the fridge over night and anything will be killed so long as its cooked through.

RestingPandaFace · 24/12/2021 21:25

Facts might help with your OCD

At 5 degrees bacterial growth stops. At 7 degrees bacterial growth will be negligible, and growth of mesophiles, which almost alpathogens are does not start until 10-12 degrees.

The food will be fine.

Notonthestairs · 24/12/2021 21:30

@WrongWayApricot

I'm the same as you, also diagnosed. Wouldn't be eating any of it. Would also be preparing to sleep in the car if everyone gets ill, the sounds and suffering would send me over the edge. Don't think I could sit at the table either tbh. I'm so sorry this has happened to you SadFlowers
Why would you up the anti like this? Do you genuinely think this is helpful?
BlackSwan · 24/12/2021 21:32

I think people are being harsh. I have one suggestion, in these circumstances…
When you’re about to cook it, smell it. If it smells fresh, you’re good to go. If it’s funny. Just give it a miss. But if it does smell fresh and you do cook it… then you have to put it behind you,
I get where you’re coming from. I had a kid hospitalised with salmonella poisoning (not from my home). I take this shit seriously

Newbabynewhouse · 24/12/2021 21:34

Oh no, i mean peroanally i wouldnt want to eat it... all veg will obviously be fine but meat... hmmm... but that's me, I'd throw something if it said use by that day or use within 3 days etc im a bit paranoid too

DahliaMacNamara · 24/12/2021 21:34

On a side note, if my fridge is overfull, it's possible to get the light to malfunction so that it stays on when the door's closed, thereby warming the fridge interior, particularly the top shelf. Not that I'd do that deliberately, you understand, but that might be what's happened here.
I know everyone says don't open the door again, but can you check that's not happening? Maybe turn the kitchen lights off to see if there's any light leaking from the closed fridge?

Siuan · 24/12/2021 21:36
Doveyouknow · 24/12/2021 21:36

@gluteustothemaximus

The frustrating thing is that this is an objective food safety issue

Not really OP. It's not OCD that's the issue here. The temp that bacteria can grow is between 5-65 which is why fridges operate at below 5.

Not objective, but fact. It's other people's lack of food safety hygiene causing this upset, not your OCD.

Bacteria do grow under 4C hence why food can go off even in the fridge. However, the lower the temp, the slower the growth.

I am sure the turkey will be fine , it's unlikely to have warmed to any significant degree nor is it likely to go off in an evening. Just make sure the fridge isn't overloaded, close the door.

AliveAndSleeping · 24/12/2021 21:37

@SpiderFluff

Can you cook it now? And reheat tomorrow?
If you can do this, it's a a fantastic idea!!
choosername1234 · 24/12/2021 21:38

How many times are you opening the door to check?

CPL593H · 24/12/2021 21:39

*WrongWayApricot

I'm the same as you, also diagnosed. Wouldn't be eating any of it. Would also be preparing to sleep in the car if everyone gets ill, the sounds and suffering would send me over the edge. Don't think I could sit at the table either tbh. I'm so sorry this has happened to you sadflowers*

Really doesn't help. Nothing OP has said indicates that this fresh meat that was only delivered yesterday is "off" and if someone binned my Christmas lunch under these circumstances, I would be raging. If she doesn't want to eat it, her choice, but she can't make it for everyone else.

SeaToSki · 24/12/2021 21:42

It doesnt matter so much what the air temp is, it matters what the temp of the food is. If you have a meat thermometer stick it into the turkey and see what temp it is. Then wash it and try the other meat products. Then wash it and try the dairy stuff. The rest wont matter.

RagzReturnedUnwrapped · 24/12/2021 21:42

@LittleDoritt

Our turkey has been defrosting at room temp for 24 hours because we've no room in the fridge and I'll be eating every scrap of meat on the yummy little bugger.
Mine was taken out of the freezer Wednesday evening and cooked today. The garage is probably 14 degrees minimum. It was fine.
NinaJames · 24/12/2021 21:47

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ninadust · 24/12/2021 21:53

I suffer from emetophobia and think it's disgusting some of the comments in here. I know exactly how you feel and if you personally feel uncomfortable with eating the Turkey, the don't. Maybe you can cook something else and the others can have that?

I hope some people on here never experince such a debilitating illness 😡

MunchyCrunchyy · 24/12/2021 21:59

Also suffer from emetophobia and now trying to ignore the urge to go down and check the fridge temp!
I am sure you will all be fine. I try to think about how the majority of the population (or even just the people you know) very really get sickness bugs, food poisoning etc even without all the over the top ‘safety behaviours’ us emetophobes have. I find it slightly reassuring!

WrongWayApricot · 24/12/2021 22:01

@Notonthestairs yeah it's helpful to know others feel the same way. I already knew I'd get harassed by the 'it'll be fine' mob. The people that have no idea how anxious she will feel for the next few days. I'm sure you'll all do a great job at just repeating the same logical mantra over and over again to someone with an irrational fear.

I'm sure there will be almost zero practical advice for if it's not fine too. I do find it helpful to remember I can escape situations like this, to remember I can sit outside/in the car/a different room if I have to. And to remember that I don't have to eat it just to please the clueless 'it'll be fine' people that have made it their new mission to cure me during one meal. The people that won't be laying awake all night worrying and replaying the evening in their heads.

Tell you what else is helpful, not minimising people's feelings. Validating that it is a horrible time they'll have to go through. Even if everyone is fine it will still be on her mind. I find it ever so helpful when everyone is not pretending nothing is wrong when in my head the alarms are blaring at me. People telling her to not check the fridge, sure. Now she has to try and tell herself that when her mind is screaming at her to keep checking the fridge. Any advice on that? Nope. Just more don't check the fridge, it'll be fine. So now if she gives in and checks the fridge she'll beat herself up for making it worse.

You've all said it's fine and I've said what I'd do if it wasn't. Stick your judgement, same to the others. I've already been accused of ruining everyone's Christmas with my health condition.

Some of them will be here boxing day to condescendingly tell OP 'told you so' too, that'll be super helpful.

Starcaller · 24/12/2021 22:04

I understand not eating it yourself, but I'd be quite upset if you insisted on binning what I see as perfectly good food I was looking forward to eating! Just don't eat it but let the others make their own choice too.

Also I can't imagine you are getting anywhere near accurate readings of air temp when you're opening and closing doors and using a meat thermometer.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/12/2021 22:06

Validating it doesn't mean having to go hungry because the OP has thrown away their food, though.

It could mean saying 'OK, see you in the New Year' if she feels the need to go home after she has been unable to accept that she is making erroneous assumptions about the function of Super on a refrigerator or the reading of a meat thermometer in the air, though.

Mummy1608 · 24/12/2021 22:10

But @wrongwayapricot I for one I'm not saying "keep the fridge closed because it'll be fine". I'm saying it's because OP keeps opening the fridge that's why it's getting warm in there. I'm a big germ phobe myself and especially anything gastro related. In our house I'm really fussy about nobody opening the fridge unless they really need to, and even then it's a quick open-grab-shut. You do not stand there dithering while the fridge door is open, that's how food gets warm and goes off before its date. So no, I'm not minimising her concerns, I'm saying it's a problem she has created herself and is exacerbating.

trumpisagit · 24/12/2021 22:10

Don't throw away the food other people want to eat. That is controlling behaviour.
If you choose not to eat it then that is your choice.
Don't ruin other peoples Xmas.

WrongWayApricot · 24/12/2021 22:10

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RedHelenB · 24/12/2021 22:10

@Flowersandhearts

Okay so top shelf is reading at least 16 :( so trying to insist on chucking that stuff out (to lots of upset).

Second to bottom is 6.5 and bottom (veg draw) is 7 but rising. Raw meat is in two lowest shelves, one of which is under 7, the other over 7. The frustrating thing is that this is an objective food safety issue but my OCD means that everyone is just pissed off with me.

It'll be fine as long as its cooked thoroughly.