I accidentally left a cooked chicken out on my counter last night. Do you think

S

sandy L

New member
it's safe to eat now? It was well covered with one of those plastic dome lids. It was cool in the house last night. It went back into the fridge around 11:00 this morning. I really don't want to throw it out but neither do I want to get sick from eating it. Thanks
WOW !!!!! Every single person has been adament about not eating it,,,,,,
To tell you the truth,,,, I was probably going to because I hate wasting food.
Because of all of your excellent points, I won't take the chance now.

Thank you so very much everyone !!!!!!!!
This has been a good example of how "Yahoo Answers" can provide a valuable service and prevent someone from becoming very ill.
 
No. Don't eat it. One single bacteria cell can produce almost 70 billion cells in 12 hours. Add to that the fact that you won't only have one bacteria cell on that chicken, and there's your reason for throwing it out!
 
there is no "test" or "full-proof" rememdy to assure oneself that the food is safe to eat. That's why experts agree that if potentially hazardous foods(ie foods that have the potential for growing harmful bacteria such as chicken, meat and dairy products)are given the right conditions for growth (temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees) then to decrease the chances of harmful bacteria growing to a level to make someone ill it should be thrown out after 2 hours in the "Danger Zone -- 40 to 140 degrees).

Now do people always get sick from consuming food left out over 2 hours -- no. But again, you can't tell if there are harmful bacteria because these bacteria do not give off any signals that they are growing. Food spoilage organisms do give off signals -- off flavors, colores, slimy deli meats, etc -- but food borne pathogens do not give off signals. That's why we advise not consuming foods that have been given ideal conditions for harmful bacteria to grow.

I can just hear your next question -- how sick could I get? Traditional food borne illness can hit you anywhere from 30 minutes to 3-4 days later and symptoms can include diahhrea, vomiting, etc -- typical flu-like symptoms.

Again, you may not experience anything, but with the knowledge that it might cause harm, we recommend to error on the side of caution -- especially if you are pregnant, already immuned impared, very young or very old. These are the 4 population groups most affected by food borne illness.

Hope this helps =]
 
I'd throw it out, b/c it would definitely make me sick. I know what "food poisoning" is like... it's not worth taking a risk. Throw it out. I've eaten out at many restaurants over my lifetime and I KNOW when I've eaten spoiled food. I always report a restaurant to the Department of Health, when that happens.
 
When in doubt, throw it out. You don't want to be up all night throwing up. Not worth it.
 
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