Costco's Chicken Packaging Isn't Exactly Convenient
Imagine going to a supermarket, spending ever-increasing volumes of cash on groceries, and being literally unable to open them. You'd feel hard done by, wouldn't you? It would be like buying a car but the doors not opening — all you'd be left with is a giant's roller skate. Pity, then, customers of Costco, who have taken to Reddit to express their exasperation at struggling to open packs of chicken.
Some chicken purchasers are judging Costco for making its packaging too difficult to open without creating a mess. "I keep getting chicken juice everywhere", laments the original poster. Others agree, finding hardship in successfully slicing between pouches without releasing meaty gunk. One replier notes that leaks occurred even when the packaging was tearable. Not everyone agrees, of course. "It's insanely easy to cut them apart", one Redditor claims, while others suggest using a sharper knife or more skillful scissor handling.
Fortunately, there are some simple tips to get opening Costco chicken packaging effortlessly — and interesting reasons why it may be so tough to get into.
Costco wants to keep its packaging costs down
Some may mock the Reddit post outraged at Costco's awkward plastic packaging, but chicken juice swashing around in the kitchen is hardly an ideal scenario. There is a more serious point to this though. You have to be careful with spraying chicken juice because harmful Salmonella bacteria contained within raw meat might make you unwell, so opening packaging over a large tray lined with paper towels is a good way to control chicken leakage onto the countertop.
Another constructive idea is to freeze the chicken inside the packaging and then open it (the juice will be too solid to drip). What you definitely can't do is be lazy and cook the chicken inside the plastic wrap, say, in the microwave. If the plastic melts or becomes deformed, chemicals may have leaked into the food, explains USDA.
Although annoying to open, Costco's packaging is probably designed to keep chicken fit to eat for longer. According to ScienceDirect, airtight packaging slows down the growth of microorganisms that cause food to go bad. It's also worth noting that Costco admits that as well as intending to be sustainable, its packaging should aim to reduce costs.