Don't wash chicken before cooking - new guidance warns*

Now that people have taken on board official advice about how to cook chicken safely and thoroughly, so that the juices run clear and the flesh is steaming hot, but who knew you should never wash raw chicken?

Research from the Food Standards Agency shows that before cooking chicken, just under half of us do exactly that - often because our mothers did, or because we think it will get rid of 'germs'. 

But according to the FSA, washing raw chicken can lead to a potentially dangerous form of food poisoning caused by Campylobacter  bacteria, with contaminated droplets of water likely to spread the bus onto work surfaces, clothing and cooking utensils.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in Britain, accounting for about 280,000 cases annually - more than Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria put together.

The main route of infection is through food and drink and the most common source is contaminated poultry.  It's spread to humans by undercooking, but also by practices such as washing raw chicken.

It's easy to dismiss food poisoning as a common, usually mild affliction, but it can be a harrowing illness which can cause indescribably pain, inflammation and blood in the stool.

Nor do you need to consume many of the microbes to get infected: 100 organisms, compared to 10,000 of salmonella. 

Those most at risk are the elderly, the under-fives and people taken antacid medication, which eliminates stomach acid that protects against infection.

This infection can have long-term effects, with up to a quarter of sufferers developing irritable bowel syndrome; and it can also send the immune system into overdrive so that it attacks nerve cells, leading to arthritis and, in one-in-1,000 cases, a severe form of paralysis called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

One person who contracted this syndrome spent seven weeks in hospital, and was in a wheelchair for a further two years.  Although much recovered, she still has no movement in her toes and uses a walking stick.

Apparently few people have heard of Campylobacter.  Yet a survey five years ago showed that two thirds of chickens carry the bug, with more than a quarter heavily contaminated.  The FSA is pressing the chicken-processing industry to impove the production process.


The the meantime, it pays to be careful when dealing with chicken:

• Always cover and chill (store at the bottom of the fridge, the coldest part, and ensure it does not drip onto other foods);
• Never wash it when raw (cooking  will kill any microbes;
• After handling, wash hands and utensils in hot soapy water; and
• Cook thoroughly.

You can test the juices are clear by cutting into the thickest part, near the leg, with a skewer or sharp knife.

(FSA website: http://www.food.gov.uk/ and also see: http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/09/05/dont-wash-chicken)

* from Daily Telegraph, June 2014