Woman Cooks Trader Joe’s Chicken Nuggets, Starts Eating Them. Then She Takes a Closer Look at the Fine Print: ‘R U SERIOUS TRADER JOES’

Chicken nuggets are the type of food most adults eat when they can’t be bothered to spend too long in the kitchen.

One woman made the mistake of assuming that Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets simply needed to be reheated, but quickly learned that wasn’t the case.

In a TikTok video with over 287,500 views, popular content creator Brielle (@brielleybelly123) says she may have made a grave mistake.

What Went Wrong With Trader Joe’s Chicken Nuggets?

“I think I just ate raw chicken nuggets,” Brielle says at the beginning of the video, holding a partially eaten plate.

She grabs the package from the refrigerator and starts looking more closely at what she just ate.

“They look pale, right?” she asks.

Brielle says she convinced herself that the nuggets’ color looked normal. Then, she read the package.

“It’s [expletive] raw inside, uncooked,” she says before reading instructions telling customers to cook the chicken to 165 degrees and use a food thermometer.

That especially bothers Brielle because, as she explains, she’s extremely careful about handling raw chicken.

“You don’t even know how I am with raw chicken,” she says. “When I’m handling raw chicken, it’s no [expletive] joke.”

She then tells a friend that she thinks she ate raw chicken nuggets.

“Chicken nuggets come cooked,” her friend responds.

“Oh yeah, you think?” Brielle replies.

Then, her friend reads the package herself and realizes it says the product contains raw chicken.

Brielle explains that avoiding raw chicken was actually the entire reason she bought breaded nuggets in the first place.

“If I wanted to handle raw chicken, I would have bought raw chicken at the store,” she says.

“To preface, I’m a freak with raw chicken,” she adds. “I don’t buy raw chicken. That’s why. Hence why I bought chicken nuggets already breaded so that I wouldn’t have to touch the raw chicken or think about it.”

Brielle also says she has OCD and had already eaten around three of the smaller nuggets before biting into a larger one and noticing it wasn’t as hot as she expected.

“Will update as i go,” she wrote in the caption. “WHY WOULD I WANT THEM UNCOOKED R U SERIOUS TRADER JOE’s IM PISSED.”

How Are Trader Joe’s Chicken Nuggets Supposed To Be Cooked?

Breaded chicken can certainly look cooked even when it isn’t.

The USDA specifically warns consumers not to assume products labeled “Cook and Serve,” “Ready to Cook,” or “Oven Ready” are ready to eat.

“Although these products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they should be handled and prepared no differently than raw products,” the agency says.

According to the cooking instructions for Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets, they should be cooked from frozen in a 425-degree oven for around 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. More importantly, the chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 175 to 180 degrees.

The USDA says a thermometer is the only surefire way to know poultry has reached a safe internal temperature.

How Dangerous Is It To Eat Raw Chicken?

Accidentally taking a bite of undercooked chicken doesn’t guarantee that someone will get sick. However, raw or undercooked poultry can carry bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

According to Medical News Today, people who do get sick may experience symptoms including stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. In many cases, those symptoms resolve on their own without medical treatment.

However, there are situations where someone should seek medical help. That includes being unable to keep fluids down, experiencing bloody stool, or developing a high fever. The publication recommends that pregnant people, adults over 65, young children, and people with weakened immune systems see a doctor even when no such symptoms appear.

Commenters Want An Update

Some viewers sympathized with Brielle’s anxiety over what happened.

“I have ocd too my heart goes out to you, you’ll be okay. this is why i always end up charring all my chicken,” one commenter wrote.

Another tried to reassure her. “You’ll likely get diarrhea if anything. I’m a mom. I know these things,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, one viewer had the same question Brielle did. “WHY WOULD CHICKEN NUGGETS BE RAW,” they wrote.

“Update us girl,” another asked.

Fortunately, Brielle later responded, “All good as of rn.”

@brielleybelly123 Will update as i go ? WHY WOULD I WANT THEM UNCOOKED R U SERIOUS TRADER JOE’s IM PISSED #exposuretherapy ♬ original sound – BRIELLE♉️?

The Mary Sue has reached out to Trader Joe’s via its contact form and Brielle via email for comment.

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