Chicken packaging - has it gone off?

[dizzyupthegirl86]

I bought some chicken the other day, use by date is tomorrow. I’ve looked at it today and the packaging seems to have built up pressure inside?
I’m explaining it badly, but it’s a plastic tray sealed with a film, fairly standard - but rather than the film being flat (or having some give in it), it’s raised and firm to touch.
I haven’t opened the chicken but it looks ok - it’s in a coconut and lime marinade so I’m not sure I’d be able to tell by smelling it.

I’ve always thought that the pressure build up meant the food had gone bad, but I can’t seem to find anything online that says so. Am I going mad, should I cook the chicken?

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole!

I think you're going to have to open it and sniff it. If it's off you'll be able to smell it despite the marinade.

My beef chunks were like that the other day , well within date, smelt fine, and I'm still here 😂

Differing opinions then! I think what’s baffling me most is that there doesn’t seem to be any reference to it online and yet it’s something I’ve believed for years.
If I found something definitive saying that, I’d probably just throw it straight out.
I’m way more relaxed about beef, and bacon now I think of it!
I’ll brave it tomorrow I think and give it a sniff!

I think even if it was perfectly fine, I would be so paranoid that I wouldn't enjoy it

I totally thought that about bloated packaging btw, that it was going off, it's the same for tins of food I believe, they warp!

BLOATED! That’s the perfect word for it, I was having a mind blank. Just looked at it again before heading to bed and I’m going off the idea of opening it at all….

Ugh yes gas from the meat going off makes the plastic expand. I wouldn’t bother opening it, it will reek so much!

I cooked chicken which was just like that on Friday night (it was in a ginger and lime marinade). Sell by date was Sunday but plastic film bulging. When I opened the packet it smelled fine and once cooked tasted perfectly normal. I had absolutely no bad reaction from it at all. However, within maybe half an hour of eating my DH started with grumbling guts and had ahem some tummy troubles later on. I felt that it was unlikely that this was caused by the chicken though, as it started so quickly after eating that surely it couldn’t affect the bowels that soon? Anyway he was okay as in no long lasting effects. He is quite prone to upset stomachs though and it’s usually caused by stress.

This happened with bacon I had last week. It was still in date but the packet had swelled so much. With still plenty of date on, I opened it for the sniff test. Instant regret.

www.food-safety.com/articles/3777-flavors-should-burst-not-packages

www.standuppouches.net/blog/why-does-food-packaging-bloat

findanyanswer.com/is-it-safe-to-eat-meat-if-the-packet-has-blown

I can't believe you couldn't find anything on line!! This was just the first three hits. Literally pages of articles explaining why you shouldn't eat food if the packaging has blown/swollen

Bin it.

To be fair, I couldn’t think of the word bloated, so the things I was Googling were things like ‘how to tell if chicken has gone bad by packaging’, and ‘pressure build up on packaging on raw food’ etc and it genuinely didn’t show anything, hence my amazement.

Anyway, I do agree with you all. Even if it was fine, I wouldn’t enjoy it coz I’d be worried - and I’ve got other food in I can use so no harm done.

Thanks for saving me from food poisoning!