system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why can you only keep chicken in a fridge for 1-2 days?

So I understand bacteria. It can't survive well at super cold or super hot. This makes sense. No problems here.

I understand chicken just chilling in it's own juices in a fridge would attract a lot of bacteria. This makes sense.

But shouldn't all the bacteria burn off when you cook it? Especially if you cook it through fully? What is the line that happens between day 2 where you could still burn off the bacteria in the chicken and day 3 where suddenly nope you'd be food poisoned.
gpt
It's more than just the other two answers. Many bacteria produce substances that aren't very good for you. Some of these substances are toxins. If the chicken sits in the fridge for a long time, lots of these toxins are produced. Sure, the bacteria are killed when you cook the meat, but the high amount of toxins remains on the food even after that.