It’s slimy. Wet. A little viscous.
The drippings from a package of chicken purchased from the deli section don’t always wait until you get home to start making their escape from the plastic wrapper.
One former Trader Joe’s employee has taken to social media to put a humorous spin on how an employee of the grocery chain might react to being handed a package of raw chicken. Specifically, one that has not been wrapped in a plastic bag from the produce section.
A humorous approach
In a video that has drawn over 3.1 million views, user Lo (@lo_ro_18) shares their take on a cashier’s sanitation concerns when it comes to raw packaged chicken in a “trolling” video.
“What is that?” the poster asks, imitating a Trader Joe’s employee. “Did you buy chicken? Is that chicken? Did you buy chicken? Did you buy chicken and not put it in a produce bag? One moment. Two bells. Yeah, I’m going to need the full chicken suit. You get it, you know? Just can’t be too safe with chicken, right?”
With exaggerated movements, Lo then puts on a respirator face mask and handles the packaged chicken with a pair of tongs, not their hands. Then, she sprays their counter and wipes it frantically, mimicking an employee cleaning their station as soon as the chicken has been put in their shopping bag.
“Yeah, I think I need to go on a break,” the poster says, again imitating an employee.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lo via TikTok comment as well as to Trader Joe’s via contact form regarding the video.
What is the fluid that leaks out of raw chicken?
The fluid that comes out of a raw chicken breast, package of wings, or tender cutlets might not be exactly what you think it is.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most of the time, the fluid that leaks out is just water that was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Even if it has a pink hue, most of the blood actually found in processed chicken is removed during slaughter.
Improperly bled chickens do not make it to grocery store shelves.
Why be cautious about fluid from raw chicken?
Even if it is mostly water, a grocery store employee may not be totally overreacting if their first priority is to clean up the drippings from a package of raw chicken.
This is because the fluid from raw chicken can harbor bacteria and potentially contaminate other food items it comes into contact with. And it’s not just at the grocery store. Liquid leaking from raw chicken can contaminate surfaces and other foods in a home kitchen just as easily.
‘Why don’t they find better material to pack with.’
Several viewers lamented the poor quality of the packaging raw chicken is often wrapped in at many grocery stores, usually a combination of styrofoam and plastic wrap.
“If chicken is always leaking why don’t they find better material to pack with,” one commenter wrote.
“I’m not buying chicken that is leaking, has a hole in it, or is puffed up,” another said. “no thank you.”
“If the USA had better packing procedures for raw meat that would solve it,” a third added. “Most countrys don’t put their meat in an extra produce bag… waste of plastic.”
@lo_ro_18 I used to work there so I can troll #traderjoes #fyp #funny ♬ Supermarket Cashier Sounds – Cashier Desk Sounds & White Noise Ambience & National Geographic Soundscapes
Lo’s claim that this was a common reaction among cashiers—at Trader Joe’s and beyond—landed among a split audience. Viewers had varying preferences when it comes to customers bagging their chicken.
“As a trader joes employee, i lowkey hate when its in a bag already (especially when they put more than one in a bag) bc it makes it hard to scan [crying emoji] yall just do what ur comfortable with,” one commenter wrote.
“As a cashier in a grocery store i can confirm this is exactly how i act im sorry its ONLY the chicken and is usually always leaks all over my belt and my hands and we arent allowed to go wash bruh,” another said.
“It’s literally raw chicken juice and can cause severe illness wrap your damn chicken most stores won’t even let an employee take a brake to wash hands after that then they touch other peoples fruit,” a third added.
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