Chicken, like all fresh meats, is perishable and should be handled with care to maintain top quality. Follows these tips to maintain food safety, product quality and shelf life.
Storage
 As soon as you get home, put your chicken straight into the fridge or freezer; never
 leave it on the countertop at room temperature.
Packaged, fresh chicken should be refrigerated in its original wrapping in the coldest
part of the refrigerator. Two days storage time is best. Store it on a low shelf of the
refrigerator on a plate so that it does not drip onto other items.
Cooked, cut chicken is best when refrigerated two days or less; whole cooked
chicken, three days or less.
When storing a cooked and stuffed whole chicken, remove the stuffing and store in
a separate container before refrigerating.
Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not to be used within two days.
Before you freeze, wrap separate pieces in foil or separate plastic bags. Remember
to press air out of the package first and label the pieces with the date.
Thawing
Thaw chicken in the refrigerator — not on the countertop — or in cold water. It
takes about 24 hours to thaw a 1.2kg Rainbow chicken in the refrigerator. Portions
will take between 3 and 9 hours, depending on their size.
For quick thawing of raw or cooked chicken use the microwave. Thawing time will
vary. Cook chicken immediately after microwave thawing.
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