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Poultry Principles: How to safely store your chicken

How do I safely store my chicken?

I think we can all agree there is nothing worse than raw chicken juice leaking in your fridge and contaminating all of your groceries. Luckily, there is a way to safely store your raw chicken while keeping it fresh and protecting your other refrigerated items. It is one of the easiest tips, and it involves where you put raw chicken in your fridge.

As soon as you get home from your shopping adventure, you are going to want to put your raw chicken in the refrigerator or freezer ASAP. We all get distracted from time to time, but raw meat does not need a hang-out session on the countertops. Keep it cool and fresh for a tasty meal ahead!

Once you’re ready to store your raw chicken in the refrigerator, clear off a space for it on the bottom shelf, and always use a plate. A common mistake is stashing raw chicken on the top shelf. While it may be convenient to store it on top, it creates a possibility of juices leaking down into your refrigerator. This poses a real risk, especially for items like fresh apples or carrot sticks that we usually don’t cook before eating. It doesn’t take much – just a tiny bit of those raw chicken drippings can sneakily cause a food safety issue for your produce, and you might not even notice it right away.

We recommend storing raw chicken in its original packaging whether it be in the fridge or freezer. If a package is leaking, you can put it in an airtight container or bag to keep it fresh. To go an extra step, you can slip the package into a plastic grocery bag to catch any stray drips and place it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Double check that it’s not sitting on top of any other food or drinks!

For the best quality and food safety experience, make sure to cook your chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (using a meat thermometer), and use it (or freeze it) by the “use by” date that is featured on the packaging!

Need a recipe that inspires? Visit Recipes That Inspire | Georges Farmers Market (georgesfarms.com).

Congratulations to Jane Larsen

Principal Scientist, George’s Inc.

Recipient of the 2020 Legendary Champion of Change award.

Press Release – George’s Increases Safety Measures to Protect Workforce

 Springdale, AR (April 8, 2020) — George’s Inc., a fourth generation, family owned and operated company founded a century ago, has implemented a series of new safeguards to protect the health and safety of its workforce spanning corporate offices, production facilities, truck shops, feed mills and hatcheries across all four states in which they operate. 

“The health and safety of our team members is our number one priority, said Charles George, George’s co-CEO. “We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure our team members feel safe and empowered to come to work. We are grateful for our team, who show up every day and are committed to maintaining our vital food supply.” 

As an essential part of the food supply chain, George’s continues to operate supporting the demand for chicken, while doing everything in its power to protect its team members. In early March, George’s activated their Infectious Disease Response plan and has been increasing health and safety protocols as needed. 

The new protocols George’s has initiated include but are not limited to:  

  • Institution of an immediate and aggressive educational campaign on best practices for social hygiene, social distancing, and signs/symptoms of potential COVID-19 infection 
  • Establishment of an internal COVID-19 Task Force that is responsible for monitoring and adopting policies and procedures based on the most current information and guidance 
  • Team member screenings, including temperature checks utilizing Thermal imagining cameras prior to the beginning of each work shift and prior to entry 
  • Enhanced cleaning and sanitation of all common use areas (breakrooms, restrooms, etc.) 
  • Comprehensive production floor sanitation that occurs every night, including a complete sanitation of all machinery 
  • Restriction of all non-essential business travel and instituted a screening process for those returning from personal travel 
  • Preparation of an Infectious Disease Response Plan, that will be implemented in conjunction with local authorities, if a team member contracts COVID-19 
  • Social distancing use of visual management tools, and installation of physical barriers, including plastic dividers in break rooms and partitions between workers where distancing is not feasible 
  • Actively working to secure adequate supplies of face covers for team members, in accordance with CDC voluntary guidelines for wearing cloth masks 
  • George’s provides paid leave via our short-term disability program for team members who have extended absences due to COVID-19 or other serious illnesses and provides a similar benefit for team members who may be directed to self-quarantine based on potential COVID-19 exposure. 

George’s continues to conduct daily calls with the local crisis response teams and is working with federal and local agencies to ensure all their actions align with available guidelines and procedures to protect their team members. Understanding the critical role they play, George’s is committed to being a resource for their team members, customers, and consumers. 

For more information please contact Belinda Mayo at Belinda.Mayo@georgesinc.com 

About George’s Inc: 

Founded in the 1920’s in Springdale Arkansas, George’s Inc. is a fourth generation, family owned and operated company. George’s is among the top 10 largest vertically integrated chicken producers in America, who have diversified its protein assortment beyond poultry. They employ a team of over 7,000 in eight production locations across four states (Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia). George’s is innovation-driven and stays at the forefront of product trends by partnering with customers to create craveable insight-driven food. For more information visit www.GeorgesInc.com, follow on LinkedIn and YouTube. 

Press Release – Approximately $5 Million in bonuses and other efforts to care for our George’s workforce

Temporary income increased for essential hourly and weekly workers plus other efforts instituted to care for workforce community 

 Springdale, AR (April 6, 2020) — George’s Inc., a fourth generation, family owned, and operated company founded a century ago, announced its plan to pay more than 7,300 employees a temporary appreciation bonus, as of March 15th through April 25. The approximately $5 million in bonuses will go to those essential team members and drivers who are bringing safe and high-quality protein products to communities around the country and the world during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

“We are especially grateful to our team of frontline professionals across our entire supply chain who have risen to the challenge of meeting the increased demand for food among our customers, consumers and operators,” said Charles George, George’s co-CEO. “It’s only right that we reward and recognize the critical role they all play in maintaining a vital food supply.” 

In addition to the bonuses, George’s implemented a series of safeguards to support its workforce spanning corporate offices, production facilities, truck shops, feed mills and hatcheries across all four states in which we operate. 

Among the activities George’s has initiated, include but are not limited to: 

• Healthcare Benefits:

  • Copays have been waived for George’s medical plan members for telemedicine, as well as waving copay and coinsurance for COVID19 testing in network 
  • No wait time for short term disability or salary continuation payments for sick employees 

• Preventative Measures:

  • Implemented the use of thermal Imagining cameras at all production facilities before each shift; as well as utilizing temporal thermometers at corporate and all other off-site locations where essential employees report to work 
  • Introduced protocols to identify potential exposure to COVID-19; following CDC’s guidance on quarantines 
  • Sharing government issued health and safety best practices with supply partners, within the food industry & our communities 
  • Instituted enhanced cleaning procedures in all common areas 
  • Conducting daily corporate crisis response team meetings 
  • Instituted meeting and travel restrictions for all George’s employees, business partners, contractors, suppliers and vendors; all nonessential personnel are working from home 

• Food Supply:

  • Expanded accessibility of product to those in need 
  • Diligently monitoring manufacturing and supply facilities to insure no disruptions to the supply 

“In addition to our own workforce, we wish to thank all the healthcare professionals, first responders, local, state, federal government agencies, and everyone working to keep us safe during this unprecedented crisis,” added Carl George. 

For more information please contact Belinda Mayo at Belinda.Mayo@georgesinc.com 

About George’s Inc: 

Founded in the 1920’s in Springdale Arkansas, George’s Inc. is a fourth generation, family owned and operated company. George’s is among the top 10 largest vertically integrated chicken producers in America, who have diversified its protein assortment beyond poultry. They employ a team of over 7,000 in eight production locations across four states (Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia). George’s is innovation-driven and stays at the forefront of product trends by partnering with customers to create craveable insight-driven food. For more information visit www.GeorgesInc.com, follow on LinkedIn and YouTube.