How are ready-made boxes meals kept safe in the supermarket?

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Stuff like [this](https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/825620/woolworths-chicken-pad-thai-with-rice-noodles). It’s kept at room temperature but has cooked chicken in it, whereas generally you’re advised to refrigerator cooked poultry within 2 hours for it to be safe. This has been kept at room temperature for months and can last in the cupboard for nearly a year.

Is it just because it’s sealed and kept free of mold spores and bacteria after being cooked?

In: Chemistry

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

So canned foods are heated past where bacteria can survive, and then stored free of bacteria in an airtight container where it can not enter or grow.

The food you have there is freeze dried or dehydrated, so you must add water and heat it to bring it back to life before eating. The fact that there is no moisture slows the spoiling process down significantly. Bacteria needs moisture to live and grow (basically like anything living).

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