A delicate and perishable product, or what is the shelf life of chicken

Chicken, as well as dishes made from chicken meat, is a product that spoils quite quickly. Failure to comply with the shelf life of the product can cause serious harm to health.

That is why it is necessary to know how much and at what temperature the chicken remains suitable for consumption.

We will tell you about the shelf life and storage conditions of chicken in the article.

What is the storage period, at what temperature?

SanPiN requirements provide for the creation of certain conditions for storing chicken. The main ones are the content of the product in refrigeration units, which provide optimal temperature indicators in compliance with acceptable deadlines. These criteria are clearly reflected in the table:

Storage features also include other factors:

• vacuum-packed chicken placed on a refrigerator shelf remains good for 5 days;
• in the same packaging, but in the freezer – 12 months;
• boneless chicken, fillet, is stored longer than with bones;
• chilled chicken at a temperature of 0 – 6°C remains suitable for 3 days;
• the same product is stored at temperatures below 0° for 5 days, but no longer;
• chicken remains fresh for more than 12 days provided it is treated with preservatives (manufacturers indicate information about this on the packaging).

The product should be sent for storage, providing high-quality packaging - container, parchment paper, cling film.

Cooked

The above criteria apply to raw products. Chicken meat deteriorates faster after heat treatment. That's why It should be taken into account that the expiration dates are slightly different:

• boiled or fried chicken can be stored on the refrigerator shelf for no more than 2 days, provided that it is properly packaged;
• smoked chicken packaged in foil remains usable for 2 – 3 days;
• The shelf life of chicken dishes with added vegetables is 24 hours if stored in the refrigerator;
• If a chicken dish is seasoned with mayonnaise or sour cream, then the shelf life is reduced to 10-12 hours.

How to increase?

You can extend the shelf life of chicken with the help of little tricks. Here are some of them:

1. You can significantly increase the shelf life of chicken meat by wrapping the carcass in cotton cloth soaked in 9 percent vinegar and placing it in a plastic container or plastic bag. This way the chicken won't spoil during the week.
2. You can preserve a chicken carcass for up to 5 days by cutting it into portions and rubbing each piece with salt and black pepper.
3. You can load the product into an enamel pan, after greasing its walls with table vinegar.

The shelf life of chicken largely depends on the packaging used to store the product.The packaging must protect chicken meat from exposure to foreign odors.

Preparation

Before storing chicken, it is necessary to properly prepare the product. For this purpose it is recommended:

1. Pay attention to the freshness of the chicken.
2. Remove feather and film, if present.
3. Separate the giblets and place them in a separate container or bag.
4. The carcass should be rinsed and wiped with rags or napkins.
5. It is advisable to freeze a whole chicken only if you plan to cook it all at once.

   Otherwise, you will have to defrost the carcass and freeze it again. However, repeated freezing significantly degrades the quality of meat.

6. The best option for preparing chicken for long-term storage is freezing it in cut-up form. To do this, the carcass is divided into parts. These are wings, thigh, drumsticks, breast. Prepackaged parts are frozen in separate packaging.

How and where to keep it?

The shelf life of chicken directly depends on how comfortable the conditions for its storage are. Of particular importance is the initial freshness of the product and correct placement.

In a refrigerator

It is possible to store chicken in the chamber of a household refrigeration device for a relatively short time. In this case, the condition of the meat at the time of purchase is important, taking into account the expiration date indicated by the manufacturer.

Storage on the refrigerator shelf includes:

1. The ability to store a chilled carcass in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days. This is provided that it was purchased no later than on the first day after receipt at the retail outlet.
2. The temperature in the refrigerator should not be higher than 0 degrees.
3. At temperatures of 4 – 6°C, the shelf life is reduced to 1-2 days.
4. You can place chicken for storage only on a separate shelf or compartment so that it does not come into contact with other products.
5. Chicken meat should be stored in the refrigerator in secure packaging. Plastic containers and glass containers with tight lids are suitable. Also good packaging materials are foil, parchment paper, and cling film.

Storing a cut-up chicken is not much different from storing a whole carcass. However, the shelf life of chicken divided into portions increases slightly.

In the freezer

Freezing chicken significantly increases the shelf life. Wherein You must follow some simple but important rules:

• It is imperative to remove the entrails from a whole carcass;
• to prevent the whole carcass from thawing, it should first be divided into portions;
• each portion is separately packaged in parchment, foil, cling film or plastic bag;
• for smaller parts or giblets, you can use a plastic container or zip bag.

The measures mentioned ensure the preservation of the beneficial properties and taste of chicken meat.

Defrosting a product involves placing it in the refrigerator compartment for gradual defrosting. Rapid thawing in heat will degrade the flavor of the meat..

In room conditions

It should be noted that chicken left without refrigeration at a temperature of 10°C will spoil very quickly. Within a day it will no longer be used for food.

The shelf life of chicken expires even sooner at temperatures of 25°C.Putrefactive bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop in the product literally after 2 hours.

Signs of spoiled chicken

Several signs indicate the unsuitability of chicken meat. Here's what you need to pay attention to:

• a slimy coating appears on the surface;
• change of pinkish color of meat to grayish-dark;
• when pressing on the pulp, the structure is not restored;
• The product emits a sharp, rotten odor.

In some cases, there are no obvious signs of product deterioration. They can be detected during heat treatment by a sour or putrid odor.

Adviсe

Simple recommendations help extend the shelf life of chicken and avoid common mistakes. Here are some of them:

1. Plastic bags can only be used for freezing chicken meat. When stored in the refrigerator, such packaging causes rapid spoilage of the chicken.
2. When using plastic bags for storage, the packaging must be sealed. For this purpose, it is necessary to release the air from the bag.
3. The container used for storing chicken must be equipped with a tight-fitting lid.
4. Meat that has been in the refrigerator for 2 days cannot be frozen.
5. Do not allow chicken meat to come into contact with other products.

Ignoring these tips will shorten the shelf life of the product. Following them is a guarantee of preserving the suitability of meat and its taste characteristics.

Conclusion

Tender and nutritious chicken meat is able to retain its taste and benefits, subject to the requirements for temperature, storage and packaging.

Compliance with the expiration dates of chicken ensures its safety for use as food.. Violation of SanPiN recommendations not only leads to a deterioration in the taste of chicken, but is fraught with serious health consequences.