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
Pretty much, yes. Both the product and the container (presumably the chicken in this case comes in a pouch) are sterilized prior to packing, and the packing itself takes place in a sterile environment to ensure no microbes are introduced.
It is a similar principle to canning, although in that case the product is heated after being sealed in the can in order to sterilize it. (Not sure that works with soft pouches, but it could actually be that they do it that way here as well).
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