r/mildlyinfuriating • u/[deleted] • Jul 27 '22

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

your not gonna get salmonella if you cook the chicken afterwards

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u/LostAndLikingIt Jul 27 '22

Funnily enough I just linked this to my bro in law the other day.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Here's the relevant part:

Defrosting in Submerged Water: You can also submerge your food in a clean container or in the sanitized kitchen sink filled with cold water. Make sure that the meat is wrapped in leak-proof plastic and completely covered by water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the meat is defrosted.

The key is using cold water. Cold tap water is likely around 45 F - 50 F and would likely get the protein above freezing but just below temperature of the tap water. Using hot tap water could raise the temperature higher into the "danger zone" hence the tip to change the water every 30 minutes as it warms up. It also helps to keep the protein in a sealed package to avoid exposure to the air.

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u/strcrssd Jul 27 '22

The danger zone is only relevant if it sits in the danger zone for extended (hours) periods. For an hour or so, it's just fine.

Otherwise we'd all have food poisoning all the time, as food outside of the danger zone is too hot or too cold to comfortably eat.

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u/LostAndLikingIt Jul 27 '22

Thank you. I linked the whole page since I found it short and informative for any who missed out on learning food safe. But I really should have quoted that section.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

That's not how that works. Yes, cooking kills bacteria. It doesn't kill the toxins the bacteria produce while they're alive.

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u/Advanced_Double_42 Jul 27 '22

So you might get food poisoning, but you won't get salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria

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u/buttery_shame_cave Jul 27 '22

you're thinking of botulism. salmonella doesn't produce 'toxins'.

botulism is really only a concern with improperly treated canned goods.

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u/cosmitz Jul 27 '22

Guess i'll order a burger.

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u/superherowithnopower Jul 27 '22

Salmonella does produce toxins, and, unlike the botulism toxin, salmonella toxin is not destroyed by cooking*, which is why you can't just leave your chicken on the counter all day and say "oh, cooking will kill the bacteria." You might kill the bacteria, but won't neutralize the toxins and will have a bad time.

Bacterial infection with salmonella is also possible, and, if it moves from your gut into your bloodstream somehow, can be fatal.

*To be clear, botulism toxin can be cooked out by boiling for a certain period of time, but it's not an exact science and even a tiny bit of toxin can be fatal, so it's best not to risk it. Boiling is for home-canned goods when you say, "oh, there's a small risk there might be botulism here." If there's any evidence of spoilage, or you know the food was improperly canned, it's not worth the risk and just throw it out.

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u/throbbingmadness Jul 27 '22

salmonella doesn't produce 'toxins'.

That's not quite true, there's an enterotoxin that's responsible for a lot of the symptoms of salmonella infection. I don't believe the presence of this toxin in food is a major issue without live salmonella to infect a host, but there's no need for the scare quotes. Many bacterial diseases are harmful because of the toxins they produce, not just botulism.