Chicken Food Safety

Chicken is a favorite delicacy of a large number of people around the world. People enjoy eating this finger licking dish, but to enjoy the same, you need to ensure that all the safety guidelines are adhered to. Food poisoning is very common disease caused by chicken if you don’t take care of its freshness and quality. The food poisoning is caused by bacteria like E. coli and salmonella present in cattle and poultry respectively. When people consume uncooked or raw chicken in which the bacteria are present, it results in chicken food poisoning and infections. Chicken food may lead to severe health problem and is sometimes, life threatening. For a person who is suffering from a low immune system, chicken food poisoning can prove to be fatal. To avoid these problems, you should always take safety measures seriously, while cooking, storing and buying chicken. It would not only lead you towards a healthy life, but would also prevent contraction of infections. Below mentioned are some tips to keep the safety of the chicken intact.

Safety Tips For Chicken

Buying Tips

Chicken should be cold whenever purchased.
Buy chicken just a few hours before its preparation and cooking. While buying grocery and vegetables from a supermarket, keep the chicken last in your shopping list.
Make sure that the chicken is packed well with disposable plastic bags to avoid any kind of contamination.
While buying readymade chicken, make sure that it is warm.
Avoid buying stuffed chicken. If you do so, use it the day to you buy it. Don’t store it for very long.
It is recommended to buy the chicken of the same brand every time. Don’t switch the brands often.

Storing Tips

After buying, store it immediately in the refrigerator at around 4 degree Celsius.
Always check the expiry date of the packed chicken and use it within the given date. Never exceed the given date. The expiry dates vary for different varieties.
If you have brought prepared chicken, cut it into pieces and keep it in a clean container. Store it in a refrigerator.
Don’t consume freezer burned chicken.
You should never defrost the frozen chicken at room temperature. You should either defrost it in the cold water or warm it in the microwave.
Always use airtight plastic bags for longer storage.

Cooking Tips

Always use clean utensils for the frozen chicken to avoid the spread of bacteria in the handling of chicken during cooking.
Cook the chicken till the time it is no longer pink from inside or until the estimated time. Don’t overcook it.
Cook chicken at a high temperature, as it helps in killing the bacteria.
Chicken should be cooked separately and should not be mixed with other food products like salad.
The defrosted frozen chicken should be immediately cooked, especially when it is defrosted in the microwave.
Never store chicken which is partly cooked, it will very soon start developing bacteria.
If the chicken becomes little frozen burned, don’t cook those portions of chicken. Cut those areas and then cook it.
A chicken cooked up to 74 degree Celsius is safe to eat.
If you have to marinate the chicken, boil the marinade before use. Never store this marinade for the later use.
An already marinated chicken is kept in the refrigerator for the maximum 2 days.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Art & Entertainment'