Why is chicken meat prone to food poisoning?

1. Risk of bacterial infection from poultry

Bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella often contaminate fresh poultry meat such as chicken and duck during slaughter and the bacteria can survive until thorough cooking kills them.

In fact, research from the UK, US and Ireland shows that up to 4–5% of raw chicken sold in supermarkets is contaminated with Salmonella.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year in the US about 1 million people get sick from eating contaminated poultry.

The CDC estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause more foodborne illnesses than any other bacteria. Chicken is a major source of these illnesses. In fact, about 1 in 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store is contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

According to a USDA study, 1 in 7 people who cleaned the sink after washing chicken still had bacteria in the sink.

When cooked, chicken can be a nutritious choice, but raw chicken can be contaminated with Campylobacter, Salmonella, or Clostridium perfringens bacteria.

Eating undercooked chicken can cause food poisoning. There is also a risk of illness if you eat other foods or drinks contaminated with raw chicken.

Salmonella contamination in chicken and the risk of food poisoning can be reduced because these harmful bacteria live on raw poultry but are completely eliminated when the meat is thoroughly cooked.

To minimize the risk, make sure poultry is fully cooked, avoid washing raw meat, and ensure that raw meat does not come into contact with utensils, kitchen surfaces, cutting boards, and other foods, as this can lead to cross-contamination.

2. Steps to prevent food poisoning from chicken

At the store

Place the chicken in a disposable bag before adding it to your shopping cart or place it at the bottom of your cart so juices from the chicken bag don't get on other foods.

In the refrigerator

Store chicken in an airtight container or wrap it carefully so that juices from the chicken do not leak onto other foods.

Prepare the chicken

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw chicken.

Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash cutting boards, knives and hands, and cook food to a safe internal temperature.

If washing chicken, do it as safely as possible:

Rinse the chicken gently with water to minimize splashing.

Then immediately clean the sink and the area around the sink with hot soapy water and sanitize thoroughly.

Wash your hands properly for 20 seconds.

Use a separate cutting board for raw chicken.

Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that previously held raw chicken.

Keep raw chicken and chicken water away from ready-to-eat foods such as salads or cooked foods.

Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing chicken and before preparing the next dish.

While cooking

Use a food thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F (above 73°C).

If you cook frozen raw chicken in the microwave, handle it as you would fresh raw chicken. Follow cooking instructions carefully to prevent food poisoning.

If the chicken feels undercooked, cook it longer.

After eating

Refrigerate or freeze leftover chicken within 2 hours (or within 1 hour if the food was exposed to temperatures above 90°F (32°C)./.