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You are here: Experts > Parenting/Family > Protecting your Home and Family > Food Safety Issues > cooked chicken safety
Expert: Carol Schlitt - 11/12/2009
Question
If I make a pot of chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker and fail to put it in the refrigerator immediately (e.g. fell asleep on the couch for a few hours), at what point must I throw out the food? Specifically, if 6-8 hours passed since it was removed from the heat, is it no longer safe enough to package and store in the freezer? Is there some level of reheating that would make it safe to eat?
Answer
Hi Christine,
According to the FDA Food Code, a potentially hazardous food (a food capable of supporting the rapid growth of bacteria -- chicken fit's this category) that is in the "Danger Zone" (40 to 135 degrees F) for over 4 hours must be pitched and can not be reheated and reserved.
For maximum safety, the recommendation is to not package and freeze the chicken and dumplings.
The problem is that some bacteria have the capability of producing a waste product (toxin) that is not deactivated by future reheating. Thus, reheating food that has been in the "Danger Zone" for an extended period of time does not automatically make it safe to consume.
At the present time we have no way of testing food at home to determine if it is still safe to consume. Until we do have a way of testing, the recommendation is to error on the side of caution and pitch the food.
Sorry...
Carol
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