# Raw Chicken Smells



## ChocFingers (Aug 3, 2019)

Hi All!

Every time I've defrosted chicken frozen from the freezer in the fridge overnight and even when I've bought chicken fresh, when I'm chopping it up it never smells of anything.

I bought some yesterday and it smells. When I was cutting it up, it smelt.

I had 2 breast fillets and last night cooked one in a stir-fry and it tasted fine and I wasn't ill but again tonight it stinks. I don't think it's off but the smell isn't very nice. Can't explain the smell, it isn't rotten or anything and the packet still says it's ok for another 4 days.

Anyway, I know you can't smell it but is it supposed to smell?

I'm thinking of chucking it but it seems such a waste.


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## Just Cooking (Aug 3, 2019)

Despite the waste, if it were me, I'd toss it..

Ross


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## Kayelle (Aug 3, 2019)

ChocFingers said:


> Hi All!
> 
> Every time I've defrosted chicken frozen from the freezer in the fridge overnight and even when I've bought chicken fresh, when I'm chopping it up it never smells of anything.
> 
> ...




A waste? Think of the cost of illness, and it's not a waste. I don't understand the answer you're looking for.... I'm sure not going to advise you go ahead and eat it. It's common sense your nose is telling you otherwise.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 3, 2019)

My rule of thumb with poultry and fish, if it smells, out it goes. It depends on where you bought it. Frozen fish on "sale" open has been thawed and frozen several times. Same is true with "discount" frozen poultry. I get a lot of my protein from vegetables at this time of year. Spend the $, buy the best quality meat you can afford, eat meat and fish fewer times x week if that is what it takes.


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## ChocFingers (Aug 3, 2019)

I decided to give it a wide birth. Chucked it. Not worth the risk.


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## caseydog (Aug 3, 2019)

If I tossed every piece of chicken I removed from a package that had a "smell," I'd never eat chicken. Same goes for pork. 

The main thing to remember is that chicken MUST be completely cooked. 

I am actually more surprised that your chicken normally "never smells of anything." Mine always has a little bit of a smell to it. 

If nothing else, cook the daylights out of the chicken, and feed it to a dog or a cat. They lick their own butts, so they can handle some over-aged chicken. 

CD


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## ChocFingers (Aug 5, 2019)

I will in future cook it and maybe see if my mates dog wants it.

Yeah usually I can't smell anything when I cut up chicken on my chopping board with my nose being  1.5 feet away from it. This I could. Made me feel sick. Enough to make a post on it lol!


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## medtran49 (Aug 5, 2019)

Of course, chicken and meat and fish always have some sort of smell.  But, if it's extremely strong and/or makes you nauseous, out it goes.  We've gotten to where we pick out a package of chicken and pop a small hole in the corner because we got a package of chicken from Publix once, brought it home, opened it, and nearly gagged.  It also happened with Winn Dixie once long, long ago.  I suspect both packages were taken out of the refrigerated case by some shopper who then decided they didn't want them and stuck them on a shelf where they sat until a store employee put them back in the meat case.  Neither one of us wants to deal with the hassle of having to go back to the store, so we check before we buy.


One time we were shopping for oysters and were going to buy the fresh shucked ones in plastic tubs.  I went to grab a couple but noticed the plastic tops were markedly bowed up and looked like they were ready to pop off.  We decided to pass, though did call attention to them via one of the workers.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 5, 2019)

If I think a food is rotten enough that I won't eat it, I certainly won't feed it to my pets, or anyone else's, no matter what else they eat.


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## jennyema (Aug 6, 2019)

ChocFingers said:


> I will in future cook it and maybe see if my mates dog wants it.
> 
> Yeah usually I can't smell anything when I cut up chicken on my chopping board with my nose being  1.5 feet away from it. This I could. Made me feel sick. Enough to make a post on it lol!




 Don't make dogs sick with it 

If it smells bad, throw it out or take it back to the store.


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## TATTRAT (Aug 6, 2019)

The nose knows. There's a reason it's above our mouth.


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## caseydog (Aug 6, 2019)

jennyema said:


> Don't make dogs sick with it
> 
> If it smells bad, throw it out or take it back to the store.



As I said, my dog licks his butt, and his favorite "treats" are june bugs and rabbit poop. 

CD


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## taxlady (Aug 6, 2019)

Dogs and cats can eat food that would make humans sick, without getting sick. They are carnivores. They have more stomach acid that us, which will kill a lot of microbes. But, I still wouldn't give them food I thought was off. I might take some iffy and offer it to a cat that wasn't overly hungry. Cats will sniff and turn their noses up at most food that is off. I have used that method to decide if I wanted to eat something. Dogs, well, they'll eat pretty much anything, so I wouldn't risk it.


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## caseydog (Aug 6, 2019)

taxlady said:


> Dogs and cats can eat food that would make humans sick, without getting sick. They are carnivores. They have more stomach acid that us, which will kill a lot of microbes. But, I still wouldn't give them food I thought was off. I might take some iffy and offer it to a cat that wasn't overly hungry. Cats will sniff and turn their noses up at most food that is off. I have used that method to decide if I wanted to eat something. Dogs, well, they'll eat pretty much anything, so I wouldn't risk it.



I have been feeding my dogs meat that is reaching the boundaries of the smell test for years. I cook it very throughly, which makes it a bit dry and tough, but the dogs don't care. It is real meat, not kibble. 

Speaking of kibble, when I make soup, or gravy or stock, I always put a little on the dog's kibble. Not a lot, but enough to make my dogs feel "special." 

My last dog lived 17 years, and the one before that made it 16 years. Psycho Poodle is 10 years old, now. I think I have some idea how to feed a dog. 

My parents lost two dogs in one month to that tainted Chinese dog food back around ten years ago. That was "dog food." 

CD


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## taxlady (Aug 6, 2019)

CD, I think we are in agreement.


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## jennyema (Aug 8, 2019)

caseydog said:


> I have been feeding my dogs meat that is reaching the boundaries of the smell test for years. I cook it very throughly, which makes it a bit dry and tough, but the dogs don't care. It is real meat, not kibble.
> 
> Speaking of kibble, when I make soup, or gravy or stock, I always put a little on the dog's kibble. Not a lot, but enough to make my dogs feel "special."
> 
> ...




The violent diarrhea and upset that I gave my dogs by feeding them "off" Omaha Steak burgers is nothing I would wish on anyone.

Schnitzel lived until 20!


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## kbreit (Aug 11, 2019)

I normally toss if I have a question. Not only is it not worth the risk, but I won’t enjoy eating it as much as I’ll spend the whole time worried.


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## ChocFingers (Aug 21, 2019)

No I chucked it lol!


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Aug 21, 2019)

I wouldn't throw it out. Throwing it out would be a waste of my grocery allowance. I would return it to the store from which it came and get a refund.


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## traceyphillips (Sep 19, 2019)

Even if someone was to tell me "it's alright to eat" i've already got it in my head that something's wrong with it so therefore it must be thrown away.

Trust your gut.


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