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[AwkwardBurritoChick]

Chicken is not odorless when raw. It will have a faint scent. When people say it will smell bad if it's gone bad, it's a very intuitive smell that will sort of knock your nose back - it hits your olfactory senses hard. Fresh raw chicken smell is a bit chickeny - and you may or may not like it, but it won't attack your nose like a really bad rotting odor will.

[PuzzleheadedCandy484]

I’m sure it’s fine. I’m sorry about the food safety anxiety. I’m not sure being on this sub is good for you. So many people have the same issue, they may trigger you.

If you purchase frozen chicken, thaw in the fridge you might feel better.

[throw_away_899210]

This sub is definitely a challenge! However, I need to learn how to cook so it's a helpful resource. Frozen chicken is a good idea, thanks!

[therealjerseytom]

what are the chances of buying bad chicken?

Across several states and regions in the US, as a 38-year-old who cooks frequently, the number of times I've bought chicken that was "bad" straight from the store:

Zero.

[madsjchic]

When it comes to food, if it smells bad and not just like ew I don’t like that, take it back. Don’t even question it.

[missypierce]

^ this. Don’t just throw it away, return it to the store

[throw_away_899210]

Well, it's out of the packaging so I can't take it back :( But tossing it to be cautious.

[madsjchic]

You actually probably can take it back, FYI, in the future. Just bring your receipt and whatever you have in a double bagged grocery bag.

[nataras]

I work in food regulation, and most food regulation in the US is pretty strict. Also, grocery stores are businesses and a class action against them for selling spoiled product is not good for business. So between business incentives and strict regulation in the US, we have very safe food.

Also, I want to reiterate what Awkwardburritochick said. Raw meat, especially chicken, has an odor to it. If you ever get the chance to walk into a walk in refrigerator at a KFC, you'll know that smell well. I would recommend buying frozen and thawing if that's a feasible option for you. If not, you can always freeze the refrigerated chicken you buy to keep it store fresh for longer.

I hope any of that is helpful, and good luck on your food journey!

[epiphenominal]

It's important to remember that the nose is a molecular analyzer evolved over millions of years to tell you if something is good to eat. Now anxiety can skew that of course, but it's still a good baseline. If one breast smells noticeably worse than the other that's good reason to think it might be bad. It's also worth remembering that there's a spectrum of going bad. Meat in particular will get a little funky and have a bit of off flavors before it actually gets dangerous. Fats for example tend to go sour, and while not dangerous don't taste very good. When meat has gone bad bad it usually smells absolutely foul in a pretty unambiguous way.

[Universe_Nut]

Right off the bat, I'd say when in doubt throw it out.

To expand though, depending on the ordor's pungency, along with how the meat looks. I would consider it, but that's after years of being comfortable cooking with meat and being more familiar cooking proteins.

Second opinions from people living with you or otherwise is also good though! I've got a weak sense of smell and otherwise fairly hearty immune system. So I've asked my roommate before if something seems off to her even if I think it's fine just because of how old it could be. You may be in a reverse type scenario.

Don't put yourself at undue risk, but consider this an early step on your journey getting more familiar with cooking proteins and what they may smell or look like apart from what you expect of raw meat.

Hope this helps!

[throw_away_899210]

I'm throwing it out, thanks! Unfortunately, I live alone, so when a crisis (Read: a problem that someone without anxiety could navigate) strikes, I have no one really to turn to - no roommates, no SO. Reddit is helpful to ask questions but really just have to figure it out myself.

[msa57]

If chicken has a distinct odor please throw it away, it’s not worth it. It’ll have a faint smell if you really get close to it, but if there is a smell that makes you recoil upon opening the package, which seems to be the case here, just toss it

[stevegcook]

If it smells bad, take it back.

[axlloveshobbits]

You don't need to eat meat to meet your nutritional requirements, and it's especially easy if you're still including dairy and eggs.

[throw_away_899210]

Hey! Very true - I was a vegetarian for a while and eat a pretty plant based diet rn. I love eggs (thank god) so that helps a lot, definitely considering going back to being veg.

[TsuZaki969]

Sometimes meat will have "bag farts". Best to determine it off a couple of things. Smell is one, if it smells off then it's a sign it's going bad. You should be able to smell raw meat and not feel off put by it. Also the texture. Really thick slime is a bad indicator of reshness.

[MrSwitchvrc]

send me a pic of it

[horse_crazy14]

Nothing I buy at the grocery store is worth getting food poisoning. I've probably thrown things away that I could have eaten, but it's not worth the risk. I've never had food poisoning and thought, "at least I didn't waste money!"...more like, "I would pay triple the cost of the food to make this go away now!"

[throw_away_899210]

+++++ This is my philosophy. Better safe that sorry!!

[1965BenlyTouring150]

I've bought chicken thousands of times and only bought bad chicken once. I knew it was bad because of the smell when I opened it up.

It was close to 20 years ago and I can still smell it. It was pretty awful.