left shopping in car

Talent

Bin it! Bin it!

valk_scot

julie777 wrote: »

Do I understand from this thread that microwave cooking is more likely than other methods of cooking to kill any bacteria?

I am always finding meat smells horrid before the use by date. Usually I bin it but on Sunday I couldn't bear to throw out the joint of pork so decided to cook it and then decide. In the end we all enjoyed it and were not ill.
Now I am wondering if the smell test mantra really works?

What do others think?

Microwave cooking is just the same as any other cooking when it comes to killing bacteria, sorry. In fact it's harder to do properly and get the centre of the dish hot enough to kill bacteria without burning the edges. If you can't stir it up half way and you're doubtful, put it in the oven instead, with a bit of foil on top to prevent burning.

I don't much like the smell of raw meat out the packet either but there's a big difference between normal raw meat smell and meat that's off, really. Sour, suphury, rancid, rotting...this is what to look (or sniff!) for, not the slightly metalic smell of edible. Also, if you're still not happy, unwrap it and leave it out uncovered for a few minutes. Normal meaty smells do build up in the wrapper but will air off quickly, rotten smells come from the meat and will still be unpleasant ten minutes later.

I do agree that in years gone past we were less pernickity about keeping things chilled. But also, food processing was less complicated back then and with less chances of cross contamination. Meat from a reliable butcher that did their own butchering of a carcase on their own premises has less chance of coming into contact with sonething nasty than meat butchered in a plant where thousands of carcases are coming in every day and the processing staff (most of whom are not actual butchers) are working at speed. Cheese back then was actually cheese and specifically made to be stored without refridgeration, not this clumped together solid milk stuff that passes for cheese in the supermarket that goes mouldy at the drop of a hat. Lots of foodstuffs were made in ways that allowed them to be stored in a coolish dry larder for months...think salting, pickling, air dried hams and sausages, dried foods, preserves made with sugar, eggs in isinglass, yoghurt, cheese. Our modern foods are made in different ways and far more prone to spoilage without refridgeration.

SallyForth_2

I would eat it, at this time of year it's unlikely to go off after that space of time, especially if it was in a bag with other cold stuff, and the car wasn't baking in the sunshine. As for the smell test, I would wash the raw chicken first and then smell.

andygb

Do not take a risk with anyone's health, if in doubt bin it! There is a particularly nasty bacteria called Campylobactor, which is found in chicken and fish. If you are infected with this, then it will be far worse than Gastro Entiritis and could even kill you.

andygb

SallyForth wrote: »

I would eat it, at this time of year it's unlikely to go off after that space of time, especially if it was in a bag with other cold stuff, and the car wasn't baking in the sunshine. As for the smell test, I would wash the raw chicken first and then smell.

One of the big mistakes, and something which can result in cross contamination of the whole kitchen.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamstoringpreparing/#A222214


You cannot smell bacteria.

andygb

SallyForth wrote: »

I would eat it, at this time of year it's unlikely to go off after that space of time, especially if it was in a bag with other cold stuff, and the car wasn't baking in the sunshine. As for the smell test, I would wash the raw chicken first and then smell.

One of the big mistakes, and something which can result in cross contamination of the whole kitchen.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamstoringpreparing/#A222214


You cannot smell bacteria.

kezlou

Well if you live were i am i'd say eat the beef, as it should fine. The chicken i'd sniff and wash, then cook it properly.
BUT if you anywhere slightly warmer, eat the beef, bin the chicken.

SallyForth_2

andygb wrote: »

One of the big mistakes, and something which can result in cross contamination of the whole kitchen.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamstoringpreparing/#A222214


You cannot smell bacteria.

Can't imagine why anyone would allow that to happen. I wouldn't. You can smell off meat though.

backfire

I'm with the "If it looks and smells wrong" don't eat it. But otherwise, just cook it well.

My Husband and I have eaten food (including a whole uncooked chicken) which we salvaged from supermarket bins). You get some fantastic food.

Like someone said - We used to keep our food in larders. We are becoming a fanatic, throw away nation.

the_munster_family

JackieO wrote: »

How ever did my Mum manage to bring up three kids without the benefit of a fridge or freezer I wonder. I am still here and have eaten all sorts of things.We would strain the bits out of the milk so they didn't float on the top and as for cheese well it often was a bit 'furry' along with jam but the furry bits scraped of or cut off and we just ate it.As long as it didn't actually move on the plate there was no exscuse not to eat it up.During rationing we perhaps wern't as fussy as we are now .My late husband once found an orange floating on the sea just off Gurnard Beach on the Isle of Wight during WW2 as a young boy and took it home to his mum, and she washed it and used it in her baking and he lived to a reasonable old age.:):)

Not meaning to pick on you personally, but so many people say something like this when there's a discussion about a safety precaution that we now use, that in the past wasn't considered necessary - in this case it's food storage, but I've heard the same arguement used about seatbelts, baby bottle preparation, MMR jabs, precautions during pregnancy, cycle-helmets...the thing is, you may have lived to tell the tale, but the ones who weren't so lucky aren't around to tell it...

Lucy