Please Advise - Left the absorbing plastic on chicken

[bladerobbins]

So I just poached some breasts, but in my Sunday morning fatigue, I accidentally left that weird piece of plasticy lining that soaks up the juices in the breasts attached. So it cooked with the chicken the whole time. It seems to have emerged in tact, without having melted or anything.

Can I go ahead and eat the chicken?

Thanks!

[bladerobbins]

RGC1982 and CharlesBois posts made me decide not to risk it, so I poached up another few breasts, and we ate those instead. They were lovely and diaper free...

[alkapal]

lol -- diaper chicken. have you eaten it yet?

ok to eat -- esp. since it was poached. high heat in an oven probably would have caused some stinky degradation that might smell off-putting, but unlikely to hurt you unless it was melted. i'll bet fda has regs that take what happened into consideration -- as a possible occurrence all across american home kitchens.

[RGC1982]

If the plastic didn't melt, I assume it was underneath the bird, so no direct heat got to it. I think the greatest danger, rather than the toxins in the plastic mentioned above, is that the soaking wet diaper didn't reach a sufficient temperature long enough to kill the bacteria in it. This is something you can tell by looking. It should no longer be pink because the juices in it should have cooked. The juices are mostly blood, and blood will not be red if it has been heated sufficiently. If the bird reached a high enough temperature, you are probably okay, but if the bottom looks wet and not quite cooked enough, and the pad remained pink -- that is your only problem to worry about. If that is the case, don't eat the bird..

[charlesbois]

I seem to be in the minority here, but heating plastic, even though it has not melted, and ingesting it is pretty bad for you. Will it kill you, probably not. It might make you sick and you might have ingested a bunch of organic compounds (i.e. hydrocarbons) that are definitely NOT good for you.

[bladerobbins]

Alright. I will try the "diaper" chicken tonight and report back...

Thanks everyone!

[renz]

I did that before, ate the chicken, and lived to type this reply.

[Val]

Just so that you know and I hope that I am correct here, but the plastic thingy is called a "diaper" I was told by someone who tried to sell me a freezer and meat back in the 80's or 90's. Any butchers here who can confirm the terminology?

[sarah galvin]

Well, that is appetizing!

[sarah galvin]

I'm sure once won't hurt you but I wouldn't make a diet of it!

[Ruth Lafler]

That's what I would say as well. Obviously the plastic is "food safe" but there's a small possibility a small amount of chemicals could leach out when heated and get onto the chicken. I wouldn't think it would be enough to worry about just this one time.

[perk]

I think it should be ok, but not absolutely sure. Don't most big companies that sell poultry have a hotline? Or call your local supermarket/butcher and ask them.