Raw meat should not be uncovered and left in the fridge!!

[Natalia457]

Ok... hoping very much that the majority of people agree with me and I am not being hysterical as per my OH's suggestion!!

BBQ tomorrow... he is currently marinating chicken which he wants to leave in the fridge overnight in a baking dish... with no lid, no cling film etc. I've told him this is gross and not appropriate food hygiene... he thinks I am being over the top (which to be fair I can sometimes be a little precious!)

I'm right though surely? Would you leave uncovered anything in the fridge?

I like everything covered or in airtight containers/ziploc bags...he never covers anything. And the raw meat has driven me over the edge!!!!

I leave it uncovered. Never had food poisoning. Always on the bottom shelf though so no meat juices drip on other food.

Former chef here. It's not ideal but if it's alone, on a bottom shelf and in a dish with high sides I wouldn't really worry about it. Have probably done same myself at home.

I'd cover it to stop it drying out and to stop the fridge smelling of the marinade.

I wouldn't be at all worried about cross-contamination of other food stuffs if it's a dish with high sides - the main issue with keeping meat uncovered is when it's on a flat plate and blood/juices can easily drip off. If you're bothered, though, open the fridge after he's done and whack a bit of foil or clingfilm over the dish.

While I think it's unlikely to pose any significant risk if the dish is uncovered, I do find it really weird that he's so vehemently against covering it! I mean, if my partner was worried about something like that I'd just say 'Meh, I don't think it really needs it but OK' and put something over it.

I assume the recipe doesn't specify it should be left uncovered? I'd certainly be surprised if it did.

The only reason I would not do this is because I would undoubtedly drop something in it. I don’t really see the risk, except of it maybe drying out a bit.

I would probably cover it so that it didn't dry out and possibly because of the smell, but I wouldn't be bothered about it being uncovered for food hygiene reasons.

It's absolutely fine as long as on the bottom shelf so can't cross contaminate anything if your fridge is organised properly. It's common practice for eg pork belly to be uncovered so it can dry out so your cracking.

I'm not too bothered either way. I'd probably cover it with cling film myself, but it wouldn't worry me if DH put it in the fridge uncovered.

I always uncover chicken. Leaving it in a plastic wrap encourages bacteria to grow. Just don't let anything else touch it.

All other meat I cover.

As long as the juices are contained then why wouldn't you leave it uncovered?

I would cover it. I cover everything that goes into the fridge mostly not to have the fridge being invaded by food smell. I also feel more comfortable having a raw meat covered.

Thank you for all the replies!

I think maybe I am being a little precious- the posts about how bacteria can't leap through the air made me laugh as this is my irrational fear. But I am well known in our home for being fussy in the kitchen. You don't even want to get me started on all of my weird standards!

Luckily he is a wonderful man and popped to one stop for some clingfilm as even though I am ridiculous he doesn't mind indulging me!

Least he covered it you would have stressed about jumping bacteria all night 😃

Hahaha I really would have!

I wouldn't leave marinating meat uncovered because marinade, not for hygiene reasons. With a whole roasting chicken, it's actually the reverse: best trick for lovely crisp skin is to take it out the day before, dump it in a big pot full of boiling water for just under a minute, pat it dry and leave uncovered in fridge overnight in a deep dish. It'll dry out the skin a bit which is just what you want. If you really want to go to town with this you can use a hairdryer on it the following morning but I can't be arsed.

I leave raw meat uncovered as long as it's on the bottom shelf. I remember being taught on Home Economics yonks ago that storing it on the bottom means blood won't drip and contaminate cooked food. If it's not on the bottom, I cover it though.

Hair dried chicken? Dafuq! 🤣 way too much effort, and wouldn't that blow all the germs around 😳

I cover everything in the fridge. I'm always afraid something will find its way to the food (floating lint/hair, a random gnat). So I cover everything. I would cover it myself for peace of mind.

Wouldn't bother me from a food hygiene point of view but stuff marinades better sealed.

Our fridge is pretty dry so I quite often leave supermarket meat on a rack over a plate in there uncovered before I use it

Been wondering about this myself: the advice is not to but, like others, I'm not clear how the germs are supposed to spread unless things are in contact.

On the point about drying meat out, this is a good thing (and this is why I want to do it!). Supermarket meat has loads of water in it, and benefits from some drying before cooking especially if you want to fry it. Unless you leave it for a week or something it is not going to be dry to eat, I promise.