Cardiff Council’s Public Protection Team are telling consumers that washing chicken before cooking increases the risks of food poisoning from the campylobacter bacteria. This is the message from Food Safety Week, between 16 and 22 June.
Food Safety Week is organised annually, by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and this year’s theme, ‘Don’t Wash Raw Chicken’, forms part of a high profile FSA campaign, “Acting on Campylobacter Together”. The campaign will share a number of tips about what action consumers can take to protect themselves and their family from food poisoning in their own home, particularly when handling raw chicken. This will include information about the food bug, campylobacter.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK and about four in five cases originate from contaminated poultry. The bacteria cannot be seen, smelled or tasted on food but at worst, it can be fatal. Symptoms of campylobacter poisoning develop up to 10 days following ingestion and include abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting. Periods of infection vary, but typically are around a week and can be particularly severe in children under 5 and adults over 60, although those in the age group 25 – 44 are also at risk. The Public Protection Team in Cardiff receives around 500 reports of infection every year and investigates 95% of these.
Many people are in the habit of washing raw chicken before cooking. A survey by the FSA indicated that over a third of respondents (38%), reported always washing raw poultry, while over half (58%) reported washing it at least some of the time. Washing the meat beforehand increases the risk of food poisoning, as there is a possibility of splashing any campylobacter bacteria present, onto other surfaces which are then a source of infection.
Councillor Bob Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for the Environment said, “This is a tremendously important public health campaign. We know that one of the main ways to get and spread campylobacter poisoning, is through touching and in particular washing raw chicken. People can protect themselves by following the advice and by taking simple precautions when handling and preparing chicken.”
Consumers are being advised that cooking chicken thoroughly, until it is steaming hot in the middle, will kill any harmful bacteria including campylobacter. Other advice to consumers about protection from food poisoning in the home, particularly when handling raw chicken is to:
- Store raw poultry at the bottom of the fridge and properly wrap or cover it to avoid raw juices contaminating other foods.
- Ensure the fridge temperature is running below 5°C and don’t overfill your fridge.
- Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces used to prepare raw chicken.
- Avoid cross contamination between food, surfaces and equipment by removing clutter and washing worktops before and after food preparation.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before preparing and after handling raw food such as chicken.
- Use a chopping board and wash the board and other utensils in hot, soapy water when you’ve finished and in between preparing raw foods such as chicken and ready-to-eat food. Use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Wash or change dish cloths, tea towels and sponges regularly and let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths are the perfect place for bacteria to breed.
Councillor Derbyshire added, “Cardiff Council fully supports the FSA in its attempts to raise awareness of campylobacter. As an authority, we attach the highest priority to ensuring that food businesses using chilled poultry meat are aware of the risks and keep to the highest standards of hygiene.”
For further safety messages during Food Safety Week, consumers are advised to follow @foodgov or pinterest.com/foodgov/ or visit http://www.food.gov.uk/facebook. Further information, including videos are available online by visiting http://www.food.gov.uk/chicken.
