In order to prevent food poisoning, it’s vital to be especially careful when handling raw meat since it can contain bacteria that leads to food poisoning. This was confirmed recently after a study comparing bacteria in grocery store chickens versus farmers’ market chickens.
The study showed that the 100 chickens purchased at the local farmers’ market had the highest amount of bacteria: 90 percent of them tested positive for campylobacter, a bacteria that can cause serious food poisoning, and 28 percent tested positive for salmonella, which can also lead to food poisoning.
The study also found that organic chicken purchased from the grocery store contained 28 percent of campylobacter bacteria, and 20 percent tested positive for salmonella. Bacteria was also found in the nonorganic, conventionally processed chickens from grocery stores: 52 percent tested positive for campylobacter and 8 percent contained salmonella.
The researchers determined that local farmers may not be as careful about food safety as large producers, so the researchers are preparing food safety training that will teach local farmers how to deliver a safer product.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning are destroyed when meat is cooked properly. But bacteria can cause cross-contamination if they come in contact with other foods through contaminated cutting boards, sinks, countertops or utensils. Here are some tips on how to prevent food poisoning when cooking chicken:
- Ensure work areas and tools are thoroughly cleaned.
- Use different cutting boards for meat.
- Cook chicken to its proper temperature.
- Never put cooked chicken on an unwashed platter that held raw chicken.
If you or a loved one were the victim of food poisoning due to the negligence of someone else, you deserve compensation. Contact the experienced Texas food poisoning attorneys at the Law Offices of W.T. Johnson today and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
