FlyFisher09 said:
I'm confused by this...can you clarify? If spoilage bacteria doesn't make you sick, then what makes someone sick when they eat chicken or other meat that has "gone bad"? Are you really saying that chicken that has spoiled will not make someone sick so long as they cook out the pathogens?
I am not a food science professional, but I am pretty good at reading and understanding concepts. Correct me where I'm wrong here...
There are 2 (okay, 3) ways that food can go "bad".
1. Spoilage by non-infectious bacteria. This doesn't make you sick, but does taste bad. You don't want to eat this, but it won't put you in the hospital. Example: sour milk.
2. Contamination. This is when human-infectious bacteria, like listeria or E Coli O157:H7 get into the meat/produce. If you eat it, you may land in the hospital or morgue. Example: Tainted lettuce or meat.
3. Rancidity. This is caused by UV --> oxidation --> oil breakdown. It's functionally equivalent to spoilage, in that it tastes terrible but isn't really dangerous. Example: Old cooking oil.
Its possible for some bad food to inhabit more than 1 category, and if it's bad shellfish it may be all 3. Sounds like this chicken was just in category 1.