Don't fret—it's there to keep you safe.
By Gillie Houston Updated November 01, 2018
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If you’ve ever eyed that strange material lingering under your store-bought meats, wondering about its purpose, you’re not alone. Though just about every kind of packaged poultry or meat contains one of these liners, chances are you’ve never paid it much attention, or bothered to learn anything about it… until you’ve accidentally cooked one along with your protein and had to fret over whether or not the whole meal had to be tossed out.
The purpose of the thin white absorbent pad that comes in your packaging, as the name would suggest, is to soak up the liquids that naturally ooze out of meat, poultry, and seafood over time, preventing them from pooling in the package. While this helps to keep the kitchen mess at a minimum, it also serves a couple of important food safety tasks.
The liquid from your raw poultry and meat can contain active bacteria that could be dangerous to your health in its raw state. So, the absorbent pad serves to absorb these potentially harmful liquids before they can leak, spill, or drip onto your counters and other food preparation areas, containing this bacteria as effectively as possible. The pads also help to keep meat safer and fresher on the shelf, as sitting in a pool of this liquid could cause more bacteria to breed in the meat, leading to a higher risk of foodborne illness.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who oversees all of the production, packaging, and safety standards of food made in the U.S., those absorbent pads are made from specific forms of paper with a plastic liner. And while the idea of plastic coming into constant contact with your meat for days—or even months in the freezer—isn’t exactly appetizing, there’s an elaborate system in place to make sure your meat is as safe as possible.
In fact, the packaging materials that accompany meat and poultry are way more regulated than you might expect, and are closely overseen by the FDA to guarantee they don’t contain any harmful chemicals that could leech into the product over time. These requirements are so strict that each and every material that goes into the packaging of your chicken or steak—including that absorbent pad—must be individually petitioned and approved by the agency before it can even come in contact with your protein.
The majority of these pads are made from one of two absorptive materials: Silica gel (a purified sand) or cellulose (a purified plant fiber), which are then coated in a non-toxic plastic wrapping that’s perforated, allowing the liquid to seep in and stay there. While this thin pad might not look mighty enough to soak up much liquid, both of these materials are surprisingly absorptive and hold more liquid than the meets the eye. In fact, according to one manufacturer, each pad can hold up to 40 grams of liquid.
So, what happens if you accidentally cook that liquid-soaked pad? In a nutshell: It’s probably no big deal. According to the USDA Food Safety and Information Services, as long as the absorbent pad is not melted, torn apart, or broken open after the meat has been cooked, your food is safe to consume. As for the bacteria contained within the pad, it will be killed during the cooking process, similarly to any bacteria within the raw meat.
And how about if you accidentally ate some of the plastic before realizing it was there? Once again, no need to panic. Neither of the two main forms of absorptive material used to form the pad is digestible. Therefore, even if you somehow consumed a small portion of the paper without realizing it, it would move straight through your digestive tract and not break down whatsoever in your system. Though it’s obviously not recommended to deliberately eat this material, consuming a small amount is highly unlikely to make you ill.
At the end of the day, that mysterious absorbent pad is nothing to be wary of—and in fact could be the thing keeping you and your meat safe and sound.
FAQs
So, what happens if you accidentally cook that liquid-soaked pad? In a nutshell: It's probably no big deal. According to the USDA Food Safety and Information Services, as long as the absorbent pad is not melted, torn apart, or broken open after the meat has been cooked, your food is safe to consume.
What is the absorbent pad in meat for? ›
The purpose of the absorbent pad is to soak up the liquid, effectively extending the freshness of the meat. By preventing the meat from sitting in its own juices for an extended period, the pad helps minimise the growth of harmful bacteria.
Is the absorbent pad in meat toxic to dogs? ›
Foreign bodies – Cooked bones, skewers, popped balloons, absorbent meat pads and whatever else some dogs can get their paws on. Whilst not toxic, ingestion of these items may result in a blockage of the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, surgery may be required so prevention is always best with these.
What happens if you cook the paper on meat? ›
These packaging materials are clearly not intended to be cooked, however if this happens and the packaging materials remain unaltered (that is, do not melt or come apart) the cooked meat will not pose an imminent health hazard.
Does meat absorb water when cooked? ›
As meat cooks, the muscle fibers start to firm up and water gets pushed out. This moisture moves outward toward the surface of the meat, where some of it eventually evaporates.
What if my dog eats the absorbent pad out of a chicken package? ›
The problem with this pad is that is could make him sick from the liquid from the raw chicken, or the pad can cause a GI obstruction. I would take your dog into the vet right away. The vet can determine if it's safe to induce vomiting to get the pad out of his stomach. Please take him into a vet now.
Are meat absorbent pads compostable? ›
Put this item in the garbage. Place this item in the curbside garbage box/can. Absorbent pads from meat trays are not recyclable or compostable.
How do you remove absorbent pads? ›
Using a gloved hand, pull down the top edge of the film half way. Remove the single use tweezers from their pouch. Tightly clamp the tweezers on the absorbent pad and in one fluid motion, pull up on the pad as you pull down on the film to remove the absorbent pad.
Is it safe to eat meat if the packet has blown? ›
To err on the safe side, however, it's best just to avoid buying and eating meat with unusually swollen packaging. “If the puffiness is not done on purpose, but rather the result of microbial spoilage, we would say no, that it should not be eaten,” says Bucknavage. “At this point, there is sufficient spoilage.”
Can you eat chicken if package is leaking? ›
When buying chicken, check the “best before” date; Check the package for any tears or leaks; Place packaged chicken into a separate bag to ensure any potential leaks are contained. Once home, if the package is leaking, transfer to a separate container for storage.
Peroxide is the only reliable way to induce vomiting at home, but there are some dogs that won't vomit with peroxide. If no vomiting within an hour in that case an emergency clinic visit to induce vomiting is best.
Is the gel in meat pads toxic? ›
The majority of these pads are made from one of two absorptive materials: Silica gel (a purified sand) or cellulose (a purified plant fiber), which are then coated in a non-toxic plastic wrapping that's perforated, allowing the liquid to seep in and stay there.
What if my dog eats plastic from the meat package? ›
Even swallowing just a little bit of plastic can cause a deadly bowel obstruction, so it's vitally important to respond as quickly as possible by taking your pet to the emergency vet if you suspect or know he has swallowed plastic.
What is absorbent paper in cooking? ›
Oil absorbent pads is made of 100% polypropylene fiber material. Oil absorbent mat does not contain any harmful chemical components, it will not pollute the environment. Oil absorbent sheet has good oil absorption capacity.
What will happen if we overcooked the meat in a dry heat cooking method? ›
The reason overcooked meat is so much worse than, say, a batch of cooked to death vegetables, all comes down to the proteins. Raw meat is essentially a bundle of protein, fat, and liquid. When you overcook meat, you're rendering out the fat and liquid, so all you're really left with are the toughened muscle fibers.
