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REFRIGERATION

Food storage

How to store raw chicken

Raw chicken is the protein most Indian restaurants handle in the largest volume, and it is also one of the highest-risk foods in any kitchen. Poultry commonly carries bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter on its surface, and they multiply quickly as it warms. Chilled chicken should be held as cold as possible without freezing, at 0 to +3 °C, and used within the time your food-safety plan sets. Frozen chicken should be kept at −18 °C or colder. Just as important as temperature is where chicken sits in the fridge: always below and away from ready-to-eat food.

  • Chilled0 to +3 °C
  • Frozen−18 °C or colder

Do

  • Check the temperature of every chilled delivery with a probe. Reject chicken that arrives warm, smells off or is leaking from damaged packs.
  • Store raw chicken on the lowest shelf of the fridge, in covered trays that catch drips, never above cooked food, salads, curd or desserts.
  • Keep a separate fridge or a clearly marked section for raw meat and poultry where the kitchen size allows.
  • Thaw frozen chicken in the fridge on a tray, not on the counter or in a sink of standing water. Plan thawing a day ahead.
  • Portion and marinate in small batches, returning trays to the fridge promptly rather than leaving a full crate on the prep table.
  • Use colour-coded boards and knives for raw poultry, and wash and sanitise surfaces after each batch.
  • Label trays with receipt or thaw date and use within your plan's limit.

Avoid

  • Do not wash raw chicken in the prep sink beside salads; splashing spreads bacteria across the area.
  • Do not refreeze chicken that has been fully thawed raw.
  • Do not overload the fridge with warm, just-delivered chicken; it raises the temperature of everything else.
  • Do not hold raw chicken in the same container as cooked or marinated chicken that is ready to cook.

In Indian conditions

Much chicken in India is sold freshly slaughtered from wet markets and local shops, often unchilled, and it can reach restaurants still warm. Chill it as soon as it arrives, in shallow trays so it cools fast, rather than in a deep crate. In summer, ambient temperatures in many meat shops exceed 35 °C, so a glass-door or reach-in refrigerator for display and holding is far safer than open slabs. Frozen chicken bought in bulk needs a freezer that can hold −18 °C even in a hot back room; check that the condenser has space and is not covered in dust or grease. During power cuts, keep doors shut and log temperatures when power returns.

General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.