Husband thawed vacuum-sealed chicken breast in his pocket—Is it safe to eat?
Last night, my husband was prepping dinner when he accidentally placed a vacuum-sealed chicken breast in the pocket of his work pants instead of the fridge. He usually wraps thawing meat in a dish towel, and I guess it was a subconscious move. We found it while getting ready for bed, and he quickly put it in the fridge.
Now I’m curious—can I still use it? I was hoping to have it for lunch today!
It’s great that your husband caught the mistake and put the chicken in the fridge afterward! However, there are a few safety guidelines to consider. If the chicken was in his pocket for a significant amount of time, especially at room temperature, it may have spent too long in the “danger zone” (between 40°F and 140°F) where bacteria can grow.
If you can confirm that the chicken was not left out for more than two hours (or one hour if it was particularly warm), it should be safe to cook and eat. If you’re unsure about how long it was in his pocket or if it felt warm when you found it, it’s better to err on the side of caution and not use it. Food safety is really important, so if there’s any doubt, it might be best to discard it.
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