This strikes me as version of the 5-second rule, only applied to the counter-top and not the floor.
If you vacuum pack the opened-but-not-recooked chicken, I think you're just sealing in a foodstuff that now has bacteria and has begun to deteriorate. So now, imho, the expiry date is no longer any good. That referred to the product packed as was by the processor, caterer, whoever made it.
Sounds like the problem is that you want to use some-but-not-all of a large vacuum pack of cooked chicken and preserve the rest.
Options safer than re-sealing unsafe meat:
1) remove the chicken you need to use or serve now, and store the rest in fridge (3-4 days) or freezer (4 mo) for another cooking use.
2) Cook all the chicken from the vacuum pack. Serve some now (as planned), and again store the rest in either fridge (3-4 days) or freezer (4 months).
3) Leave the large vacuum pack of cooked chicken intact. Use another meat as the focus of the immediate meal planning.
PS I realize your chicken in the bag is already cooked. When I say "cook it now for use immediately" I mean prepare, heat or sauce it as you planned to do.
4 Comments
If you vacuum pack the opened-but-not-recooked chicken, I think you're just sealing in a foodstuff that now has bacteria and has begun to deteriorate. So now, imho, the expiry date is no longer any good. That referred to the product packed as was by the processor, caterer, whoever made it.
Sounds like the problem is that you want to use some-but-not-all of a large vacuum pack of cooked chicken and preserve the rest.
Options safer than re-sealing unsafe meat:
1) remove the chicken you need to use or serve now, and store the rest in fridge (3-4 days) or freezer (4 mo) for another cooking use.
2) Cook all the chicken from the vacuum pack. Serve some now (as planned), and again store the rest in either fridge (3-4 days) or freezer (4 months).
3) Leave the large vacuum pack of cooked chicken intact. Use another meat as the focus of the immediate meal planning.