Food Safety - Chicken

Does anyone have an issue when buying chicken from the open air case at the butcher? I've previous bought chicken that was bad (same day!) from Whole Foods. After a very long time I decided to go back tonight. I bought chicken breasts. They have a minor sulfurous smell but only if I really stick my nose up to them. They are cooking now but I am a little paranoid. Does anyone have an issue with freshness when buying from the open case?

Thanks

alygator
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5 Comments

702551
702551 March 14, 2016
I've been buying chicken and other meats from the open refrigerator case from various butchers and grocery stores well over two decades and I have never had a problem with freshness.
 
Em
Em March 14, 2016
Smell can be deceiving. Raw meat can absorb smells from the air around it, such as garlic. If the chicken is slimy and yellowish-pink, then you know it has gone bad. The muscle fibers will have started to break down as well. I would rely on sight and touch to determine freshness.
 
Susan W.
Susan W. March 12, 2016
I've never had a problem with chicken from an open case from Whole Foods. What makes you think chicken that you bought previously from WF was bad?
 
alygator
alygator March 12, 2016
Well, one time I brought home chicken thighs and you could absolutely smell them as soon as you opened the paper. Tonight I just got a little paranoid. I should have bought their vacuumed packed chicken!
 
Susan W.
Susan W. March 12, 2016
That just makes no sense to me. Open air chicken should not have any older. Often, wrapped chicken has more of an older because the older builds up in the plastic. You always have the option of asking to smell it for freshness. They won't bat an eye at that. People do it with seafood all the time.

Did you return the chicken and did they confirm there was a problem?
 
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