Chicken months past "best before" date! Safe??

[CorneliusRuperTravis]

I've always had a worry over cooking chicken products, for obvious reasons.

I cooked some chicken dippers earlier, but forgot to check the "best before" date. I made sure they were well cooked through, piping hot in the middle etc etc...

When I sat down to eat them, I ate a whole one, then a little bit more, then remembered that I didn't check them first.

To my horror the label on the back reads: "Best Before: 2 2010". February!

I asked my brother about it, and he said that it was fine, because it was frozen and would "last years". Surely my mum (who is a great cook) would have noticed them by now and thrown them out if they were inedible?

I wasn't convinced however, and I didn't touch the rest. This was all about an hour ago. Was I right not to take the risk, and will that amount of chicken make me ill if it was off? It tasted good, smelt good, there were no obvious signs that it was "off", but....

*Sigh*

[CJA09]

I can understand why you are worried Hun but I really don't think you need to be. That fact that it has come out the freezer makes it very unlikely that it was off! You will be fine! If you had food poisoning ( which I really don't think you'll get) then your body would have rejected it by throwing up within an hour! Please don't worry! I'd have eaten them! X

[CorneliusRuperTravis]

Ok, thank you

You can just never be too sure with food sometimes. I get awfully paranoid when I have to do my own cooking, but I suppose at least it makes me careful and I'm less likely to take any chances ^_^

x

[heather xx]

with dates on packaging the best before date is there as a guide it simply tastes better before that date. Use by is when it has to be used by like meats and fresh produce milk cheese etc.