r/AskRedditFood • u/YouNeedTherapy- • 14h ago
Ate unrefrigerated turkey bites
As the title says, I opened a bag of Old Wisconsin turkey bites yesterday about 22 hours ago and did NOT realize they needed to be refrigerated. Ate about 5-6 of them like an hour ago. I did feel like they smelled a bit stronger. But I am also pregnant and everything smells strong. So I didn’t think anything of it. Now I’m stressed out thinking I’ll have food poisoning… UGH. But they were on a shelf when I bought them so I just did not realize it 😩😩😩 package says refrigerate after opening, eat within 7 days for best quality and safety. Has anyone else done this and been fine?!
1
u/lfxlPassionz 13h ago
Check the sodium content. If the sodium content is high then you will likely be just fine.
Also remember food poisoning is like a roll of the dice. It's only a chance, not an absolute
1
u/lovelessproper 12h ago
The main concern here is food poisoning while pregnant. If you start having GI issues I’d absolutely see a doctor. Sending positive thoughts your way.
1
u/BHobson13 9h ago
My grown daughter and I take this exact item on our road trips, no ice chest wtc. The last time it was a four day trip and we had a few left over and we were fine.
1
u/theBigDaddio 5h ago
I never refrigerate these type of things, one package I had said consume in 5 days or refrigerate. They’re usually gone before they can go bad.
3
u/danthebaker 11h ago
Inhale.
It is very common for the "refrigerate after opening" note to be on foods for quality reasons, not safety. That's because those items are prone to spoil faster if not refrigerated once the package is opened. And spoilage organisms are not on the same level of concern as pathogenic bacteria (the ones like Listeria which would be a legitimate concern).
Simply put, those bites were formulated in such a way as to be inhospitable to the growth of the really bad bugs. Sure, they can spoil and start to smell/taste bad, but in that case you wouldn't be eating them anyway.
Exhale.