Ideally, poultry should be used within how many hours of receiving?

Ideally, poultry should be used within how many hours of receiving?

• A. 12 hours
• B. 36 hours
• C. 48 hours
• D. 24 hours

Answer: (D)

Poultry is highly perishable, so controlling the time from receiving to use is essential for safety and quality. Keeping it cold slows bacterial growth, but it doesn’t stop it, so using it within 24 hours minimizes the chance of a high microbial load or spoilage while still fitting typical kitchen workflows. If you can’t use it in that window, freezing is the safer option to extend storage time; just remember that freezing slows growth but doesn’t kill bacteria, and thawed poultry should be cooked promptly. Waiting longer than 24 hours in refrigeration increases the risk of pathogenic growth and quality deterioration, making 24 hours the ideal guideline.

Poultry is highly perishable, so controlling the time from receiving to use is essential for safety and quality. Keeping it cold slows bacterial growth, but it doesn’t stop it, so using it within 24 hours minimizes the chance of a high microbial load or spoilage while still fitting typical kitchen workflows. If you can’t use it in that window, freezing is the safer option to extend storage time; just remember that freezing slows growth but doesn’t kill bacteria, and thawed poultry should be cooked promptly. Waiting longer than 24 hours in refrigeration increases the risk of pathogenic growth and quality deterioration, making 24 hours the ideal guideline.