By ChinRes 
Without a shadow of a doubt, the rotisserie chicken sold at Costco is among the most well-liked goods that the retailer offers. It was the winner of our taste test for rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, and some customers even came to the warehouse store specifically for the chicken.
The well-liked bird made headlines earlier this year when Costco revealed that it would be altering the packaging of its famed rotisserie chicken in the United States. The announcement stated that the chicken will be packaged in a bag rather than a plastic take-home container that had a solid tray and dome cap.
“…the plastic bag is just a mess waiting to happen,” and “They’re nasty to touch and get everything greasy,” were among of the comments that were made on Reddit by those who were unhappy by the move at the time. These individuals were lovers of the ready-to-eat chicken that was relatively affordable (it averaged $5, depending on region).
Thejacked.gentleman, a user on TikTok, said that he had become unwell twice after consuming Costco’s rotisserie chicken after the switch from a plastic tray to a bag. He attributed his illness to the fact that most customers wait for the chicken to cool down before putting it in their refrigerators.
According to what he states in his video, “I believe it develops bacteria.” In the past, the chicken was allowed to sit above the juices in the old containers, rather than being forced to sit in the heated plastic fluids that were contaminated with bacteria and chemicals. No longer am I able to comprehend it.”
“Whether the bag or tray harbors additional organisms depends on many factors and post-cooking handling,” explains Manpreet Singh, professor and Head of the Department of Food Safety and Technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at University of Georgia. Singh is also the person who oversees the department.
“It is difficult to determine what is potentially causing these claims because there is not enough information available right now regarding this situation.”
Concerns about the possibility of plastic elements from packaging making their way into our food are warranted. When it comes to packaging, such as the new plastic bags that Costco uses for its rotisserie chicken, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States considers packaging to be an indirect additive since it comes into contact with the food.
This is due to the fact that the chemicals included in the packaging have the potential to migrate into the food. All food packaging materials are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because, according to the FDA, they “must be formulated in compliance with FDA requirements for its intended use.”
This is not the first time that the rotisserie chicken has been criticised; in fact, it has happened before. In the previous year, consumers additionally said that the chicken was causing them to become unwell, but they ascribed their illness to an additive that included the chicken. Additionally, a few months before to that, customers reported that the flavor of the chicken had altered, and that it suddenly tasted “chemicalish.”
Several of the shopper’s TikTok followers have provided their opinions in reaction to his video, commenting on whether or not it is necessary to chill the chicken before storing it in the refrigerator, as well as whether approach is more likely to result in the growth of bacteria. People who post on Reddit have stated that they quickly remove the meat from the bone and place it in a glass container before putting it in the refrigerator.
Chicken that has been cooked can be allowed to cool down slightly before being placed in the refrigerator; however, it should not be left out for more than two hours (or one hour in temperatures that are higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit).
Although the temperature range between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit is known as the danger zone, which is the temperature range in which hazardous germs develop at the fastest rate, you should not allow your chicken to reach room temperature before you begin to cool it down. You may either bring it down to 135 degrees Fahrenheit before refrigerating it, which is the optimal situation, or you can choose not to let it cool at all.
Put it straight into the refrigerator as soon as you bring it home from the store. It is possible for the refrigerator to quickly bring the chicken back to a temperature that is safe, and the chicken itself is not large enough to cause concern that it will push the temperature of the refrigerator as a whole down into the danger zone. If you want to chill it down even further before putting it in the refrigerator, you should follow the advice of those people on Reddit and shred it first.
Because of this, it will be able to cool down more rapidly, allowing you to put it in the refrigerator before the two hours have passed. When you do decide to preserve it, be sure to put it in a container that is airtight and only put it in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days before you use it.
For what it’s worth, Costco has been selling its roaster chickens in plastic bags throughout Canada for a few years without encountering any problems.