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revised February 17, 2023

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Food Safety at Home

Preparing Frozen Store-Bought Chicken Nuggets

Frozen chicken nuggets might appear to be cooked as they are breaded and appear browned but they are raw. If you don’t prepare them according to the instructions noted on the packaging, they can make you sick. Other similar products which should be properly prepared are frozen chicken strips and frozen breaded chicken burgers.

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning (Salmonellosis) include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

In 2016 & 2017, at least 30 children in Peel Region, 9 years of age or younger developed food poisoning after eating improperly prepared frozen store-bought chicken nuggets.

How should you properly prepare frozen chicken nuggets?

  • Follow the cooking instructions on the package for how long to cook them in your oven and at what temperature
  • Do NOT use the microwave (the nuggets will be heated unevenly, which will not kill any hazardous bacteria in the nuggets)
  • Wash your hands after handling raw chicken nuggets
  • Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours and use within 2 to 4 days
  • Make sure that uncooked and cooked nuggets do not come into contact with each other

Watch:
Best Way to Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets, a Health Canada video.


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Revised: February 17, 2023

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