What Happens If You Eat Spoiled Chicken? The Consequences and How to Avoid Them

Eating spoiled chicken can have serious health consequences. Chicken has a high risk of harboring dangerous bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter that can cause foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning. If you accidentally eat spoiled chicken, it’s important to be aware of the potential symptoms and take action quickly to prevent severe illness

Recognizing When Chicken Has Spoiled

It’s not always easy to tell if raw chicken has gone bad. Here are some signs to look for:

• Slimy or sticky texture
• Grayish color
• Foul, sour smell
• Discoloration or dark spots
• Past expiration or “use by” date

Cooked chicken that is spoiled may also have an off smell, color change or slimy texture. If in doubt it’s best to play it safe and discard any chicken that seems questionable. Trust your senses – if it smells or looks bad, don’t eat it.

What Happens Right After Eating Bad Chicken

Within a few hours of eating spoiled chicken, symptoms of foodborne illness may start to manifest. The most common symptoms include:

• Nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps – Your body reacts quickly to expel the contaminated food
• Diarrhea – Can range from mild to severe
• Fever – Usually low-grade, around 100°F to 102°F
• Chills and body aches – You may feel run down as your immune system responds

Symptoms can appear anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days after ingesting bad chicken. The timing depends on the type and amount of bacteria present.

Potential Complications of Food Poisoning

For healthy adults, food poisoning from spoiled chicken is usually just unpleasant and inconvenient. However, certain groups have a higher risk of developing dangerous complications:

• Infants and young children
• Older adults
• Pregnant women – Can affect mother and baby
• Those with compromised immune systems

Complications from chicken-related foodborne illness can include:

• Dehydration – Especially infants and elderly
• Kidney failure – In extreme cases
• Reactive arthritis – Joint pain and swelling
• Guillain-Barre syndrome – Muscle weakness and paralysis

Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe or persisting longer than 3 days, especially for high-risk individuals.

Treating Food Poisoning from Bad Chicken

Most cases of food poisoning from spoiled chicken can be managed at home with rest and hydration. Treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms and preventing dehydration from fluid loss.

• Drink plenty of liquids – Broth, diluted juices, electrolyte drinks
• Get ample rest
• Eat bland, easy-to-digest foods like toast or rice once vomiting subsides
• Take over-the-counter medicines – For pain, fever reduction

Severe dehydration may require hospitalization for IV fluids and monitoring of kidney function. Antibiotics are seldom needed unless there are signs of invasive illness.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning from Chicken

Practicing proper food safety is key to preventing foodborne illness from chicken. Here are some safe handling tips:

• Refrigerate raw chicken below 40°F
• Don’t rinse raw chicken – Can spread bacteria
• Thaw frozen chicken safely in the fridge
• Use separate cutting boards and utensils
• Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken
• Cook to internal temperature of 165°F
• Don’t leave cooked chicken out over 2 hours
• Store leftovers promptly in the fridge

Checking “use by” dates and looking for signs of spoilage like odor and sliminess can also help you avoid consuming spoiled chicken. When in doubt, remember the old adage – “When chicken looks done, cook it more; when chicken looks burnt, serve it up!”

What to Do if You’ve Eaten Bad Chicken

If you suspect you’ve eaten spoiled chicken, stop eating it right away. Drink plenty of fluids and monitor yourself closely for symptoms over the next 72 hours.

Call your doctor if you develop concerning symptoms like an inability to keep fluids down, high fever, blood in stool, or signs of dehydration. Otherwise, try managing symptoms at home with rest, hydration, and over-the-counter medications.

Discard any remaining chicken to prevent others from getting sick. Sanitize any surfaces and utensils that may have touched the spoiled chicken using a chlorine-based disinfectant.

While an unpleasant experience, most cases of food poisoning from chicken resolve on their own within a few days. However, it’s smart to take quick action at the first signs of illness to prevent severe complications.

The Bottom Line

Eating spoiled chicken can definitely make you sick. Symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps often start within hours of ingesting bad chicken.

While most people recover after a few unpleasant days, certain groups have a higher risk of complications. Carefully watch for signs of dehydration or persistent symptoms, especially in infants, pregnant women, older adults or those with compromised immunity.

Following safe food handling and cooking practices can help prevent foodborne illness from chicken in the first place. But if you do get sick after eating spoiled chicken, take it as a reminder to reinforce proper food safety habits. Quickly discard leftover chicken after 3-4 days, don’t take chances with questionable chicken, and thoroughly cook chicken to 165°F.

Taking these precautions provides peace of mind that you and your loved ones can safely enjoy chicken, a nutritious and delicious staple food, without worrying about severe consequences from foodborne illness.