Topic: Food safety question - reheating chicken (or base sauce)

[George]

Here's a recent quote from an old thread:

He initially says that he always uses his base after it has been cooled overnight and blended the following day. He goes on to say that he finds it to be at its best on day 3. However, in the follow up comments he says that he wouldn't use the base once it's been cooled and re-heated.

No !  He goes on to say that he "wouldn't do is re-heat blended sauce that has been allowed to cool" — "re-heat", not "use".  Yes, of course, "re-heating" is implicit in "using" but he was writing in the context of mixing one batch of sauce with another, not of cooking a curry.
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** Phil .

I noticed Phil's comment after planning to reheat roast chicken which I allowed to cool over night (9 hours) in the kitchen at around 20C. So it was at about 20C for way longer than the 2 hours which buffet food is alllowed to be out for, before it has to be discarded. It was then refrigerated for more than 24 hrs. I wouldn't want to risk making a sandwich with the cold chicken. But I aim to make a curry and simmer the chicken in the sauce for at least 20 mins. If any bacteria has started to develop, will 20 mins of simmering be enough to kill it off? Likewise, where's the risk with base sauce if it's been cooled, then reheated?

[livo]

9 hours at 20'C would be in the bin or dog food for me.

[Robbo141]

I doubt there’s any risk with base as it’s just veg. I’m pretty sure I saw someone say they leave a pot of base out at all times.  Mine gets frozen every time. I’ll leave the chicken advice to others. When I buy a rotisserie chicken, it’s straight in the fridge after cooling.
I’m very cautious with chicken. Unless drawn by Mr. Larson.


Robbo

[George]

9 hours at 20'C would be in the bin or dog food for me.

Are dogs not susceptible to food poisoning?

I guess it's similar to many folks situation with turkeys at Christmas. If you eat in the evening, the turkey may not have cooled sufficiently to put it in the fridge before going to bed. So what can you do, unless you happen to have a blast chiller?

[livo]

I've never had a dog get food poisoning that required veterinary treatment. Dogs are quite good at making themselves regurgitate things they've eaten which are bothering them.

George, I simply would not even consider eating chicken meat that has been cooked and allowed to sit at 20'C for 9 hours and I don't understand why anyone would even do that.  Robbo mentions rotisserie chicken.  Out here the recommendations are to consume them within 24 hours of purchase or discard, and they should be kept refrigerated if not being consumed straight away.  Alternatively, they can be kept warm / hot for several hours by placing in an oven.  Most people, myself included, will keep these chickens in the fridge for several days.

The only problem I see in putting warm turkey in the fridge is the increased energy bill to cool it down from hot.

[George]

George, I simply would not even consider eating chicken meat that has been cooked and allowed to sit at 20'C for 9 hours and I don't understand why anyone would even do that. 

I did, last night! According to the NHS and other sources, it can take 48 hours or longer before you get symptoms from food poisoning, so I will let you know. It seems so unlikely to me. Let's say bacteria were starting to develop in the chicken for 9 hours before I put it in the fridge. But 24 hours later I simmered it in a sauce at 100C for 30 mins. The chicken pieces would be thoroughly heated through and I reckon any bacteria would be killed. It also tasted fine.

[Peripatetic Phil]

George, I simply would not even consider eating chicken meat that has been cooked and allowed to sit at 20'C for 9 hours and I don't understand why anyone would even do that. 

I did, last night! According to the NHS and other sources, it can take 48 hours or longer before you get symptoms from food poisoning, so I will let you know. It seems so unlikely to me. Let's say bacteria were starting to develop in the chicken for 9 hours before I put it in the fridge. But 24 hours later I simmered it in a sauce at 100C for 30 mins. The chicken pieces would be thoroughly heated through and I reckon any bacteria would be killed. It also tasted fine.

Well done George — you did exactly what I would have done — used your own judgement.  I routinely leave food in the kitchen overnight having heated it the night before, and whilst I occasionally get rapid-onset food poisoning (scombroid) after eating out, I have never done so after eating my kept-at-ambient-overnight food at home.
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** Phil.

[livo]

 

[George]

Update - I appear to be OK, long after eating the reheated chicken. i have become far more careful after suffering food poisoning shortly after arrival at a holiday destination in January. I'd bought a pack of three sandwiches from Aldi to enjoy as brunch on an early morning flight from Gatwick. They included prawns and chicken - both high risk. I'd done this before, and got away with it, but my luck ran out in January. The sandwiches were in the car boot overnight at fridge temperature. But when I entered the airport buildings, the temperature shot up to about 20C. I was there for about 2.5 hrs and on the aircraft for perhaps 1.5 hrs before I ate the sandwiches. So 4 hrs is double the safe time for food such as prawns and chicken to be at room temperature. At about 3pm that day, at my destination, I started to feel feint. Worse effects followed and spoiled the first 2 or 3 days of my holiday.