Gamma radiation doesn't change the food in any way; it merely removes bacteria so thoroughly that the food keeps fresh as long as it stays sealed. Normal "uncontaminated" food contains enough bacteria that they will eventually grow into a large population and rot the food.

About four days. It varies though, so use your common sense to judge it.

Probably not. If you've taken refrigerated meat out of the refrigerator and let it warm up some, the warming air inside the package could expand it, and your meat is probably okay. But if it's still refrigerated, the package expansion is probably caused by gases produced by the action of bacteria.

Almost always an expanded package is due to bacteria growth, the expansion due to warming the air inside the package will not be very discernible to the naked eye. Rule of thumb in the food industry is: "When in doubt, throw it out"

Guessing the question was meant for chicken pot pie. This food can be frozen safely for years. This is a good way to keep all cooked meats.

A thermostat.

It isn't generally safe to refreeze raw food. This is especially true for chicken, which is contaminated with salmonella at scary-high rates. If the chicken has thawed, it isn't generally safe to refreeze it and eat it later. This is especially true if it is thawed in room-temperature water rather than being thawed in the refrigerator.

Once thawed, the chicken should be cooked fairly quickly. Once cooked, it can then be frozen for later consumption.

That would depend on how long it has been thawed I have done so without any bad effect however I did make sure that the meat was well cooked when I did eventualy use it,just in case.

Once Chicken/Turkey has thawed it is OK to re-freeze it if it has thawed and the ambient temperature of the bird has not risen above 40 deg for more than 3 hours. Because freezing causes ice crystals which damage the meat each time, repetitive freezing will result in poor texture.

That depends on the make/model of fridge. The manufacturer will have supplied that information for each type of fridge they sell - however, the time given assumes you are NOT opening the door.

Different fridge makes/models come with different standards of insulation.

Deli meat and cheese should be left out of the refrigerator for no more than 2 hours. If it is very warm - as at a summer picnic - then 1 hour is the maximum.

Food left out of the refrigerator is okay to eat for about 2 hours. If the temperature is under 80 degrees. The longer a food stays in the danger zone the more risk you take eating that food. Foods should either be kept hot or kept cold before eating to be really safe. Meats should be thawed in the refrigerator or in cold water.

Because that may thaw it too quickly and leave a bunch of water in the food.

If it looks good and smells good then eat it.


That depends on a lot of factors; if it was just left out on the kitchen table it should be fine. However if it was left outside on a hot day somewhere where insects and other animals can get to it might no be so good...

No longer than an hour or so if left out in room temp. Bacteria can start to grow on foods in an hour. Our stomach acids can kill some of these bacteria but not all. Foods should be kept out of the danger zone which is above 40°F and below 140°F. In this zone foods are perfect for bacteria.

Unless specifically indicated, the date on the package is probably a "sell by" date. Handled and stored properly, it is likely good for a couple days beyond that. Use your senses. If it feels slimy or smells odd (yeasty, ammonia), then don't use it.

This food will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator. Whether it is raw or cooked. Place the food in an air tight container for best results. It can later be transferred to the freezer for longer storage.

The colour usually isn't the main criteria for "bad" chicken. It might still LOOK good, but the odor is the thing. Chicken should be discarded after refrigeration in less than a week because the bacteria in chicken makes it inedible very quickly.

Some visual signs are dry edges, a pinkish tinge to the edge of the meat, but above all..the smell. Your nose will alert you to spoiled meat quicker than visual clues.

To be safe, don't store chicken in the refrigerator more than three days, or in the freezer more than two months.

It could be stored refrigerated up to ten days. That will depend upon several factors, including the storage conditions, packaging and the quality of the gammon.

Certainly. If you thaw out some frozen meat and make your chilli and then refreeze the cooked, product you shouldn't have any problems whatsoever. No worries here. Just be sure to package it in a way that minimum air is included with your food, as is always suggested. Cooking meat that has been frozen and then freezing your cooked product is perfectly acceptable. It is done frequently.

four hours is the max for any food at room temperature.

Four hours is too long. Potentially hazardous food should not be left out more than 2 hours. If the ambient temperature is around 90°F, cut that to 1 hour.

The US Food Code recommends that potentially hazardous food be cooled from 140°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then further chilled to 40°F within another 4 hours. So after 2 hours, the food should either be reheated to 165°F or placed in the fridge to cool further.

Four hours was an old recommendation, but that was to get the food from 140°F to 40°F. Which means it would have to be fully chilled by the end of that time frame - not still sitting out at room temperature.