There’s something unnerving about unrefrigerated hamburgers in Japanese convenience stores

14 comments

1. Yeah. I thought non-refrigerated eggs were odd when I was there. Turns out is the US which is the weird one.

   Also I remember things being just chilled. Like milk was was chilled but not cold.

2. They’re salty and dry. Everyone’s seen that “McDonald’s burgers don’t rot” meme. It’s all about [water activity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_activity#Food_safety).

3. The food usually have tags of it that say when they need to be pulled off the shelf if not purchased. They even do this at my favorite store in SF’s Najiya Market. Most of the food is purchased before the expiration time. Especially my favorite onigiri 🙁

   With their strict laws and hygiene, I would feel more comfortable eating this than most food items in the US.

4. cooked food is normal safe about 4 hours if property protected, but it does depend on the ingredients and temperature/duration used to prepare them. 15 mins of time stored out safe hold zone will mean the food can not be stored and must be consumed or thrown away.

5. Americans have a boner for refrigeration. I saw people put insulated lunch bags and the occasional igloo cooler in various community refrigerators.

   It’s just another wasteful uneducated behavior dipshits do. Americans are pretty goddamn stupid and fearful

6. Do people eat cold hamburgers? Are they wrapped while warm?

7. Are there any vegetables/toppings in them (lettuce, onion, tomato) or is it just a patty and cheese?

8. Gotta try when I’m there 😋

9. The Japanese are notorious food safety people although it would raise my eyebrows I would trust them. If those hamburgers got you sick imagine the bad reputation the store would have. I’m sure no store especially in Japan wants to be known for serving bad food.

10. While I can understand your hesitation, rest assured that a major conbini chain like Lawson would never risk getting their customers sick. If anything they are always playing it too safe when it comes to food safety as each store will strictly adhere to the (extremely conservative) expiration date on each package and throw out anything that’s expired, even if it’s a minute “old”.

    Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts about steak tartare or steak cooked rare (ie bloody) or going to a large neighborhood bbq cookout where cooked food is left out in the open and someone will pick up a burger that was cooked hours earlier? Also how do you feel about the corokke-pan and arabiki pork frank roll that are being sold below the hamburgers? Or have you ever purchased a menchikatsu or kara-age from a neighborhood shoutengai?

    I’ve had food poisoning before (in the United States) and that’s not something I would wish on anyone, and I’m not saying Japan doesn’t have any cases of it (no place is 100% safe) but out of all the places to be concerned about food poisoning, I think Japan (esp Lawson) should be very low on your list.

11. I ate chicken breast sashimi with raw egg, so this is nothing.

12. I love the point of sale oden.

13. “I’m ignorant and not very well traveled, so food is scary.”

14. They watch you, always. 👀
    Don’t blink
    Don’t run.
    Just back away slowly.