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THIS WEEK, BRITAIN’S Food Standards Agency issued a warning about the dangers of washing raw chicken.
In Britain, 44% of people wash raw chicken before they cook it, but figures from Safefood for the Republic of Ireland show that more than half – or 57% – of Irish people do the same.
Not surprisingly, two thirds said they do it because their mammies (or families in general) have always washed it under the tap, while one in five said they do it because they saw it on TV.
The respondents in this survey were those who said they were responsible for cooking at home and 94% of them said they would describe themselves as “confident” in their cooking skills.
Well, they’d want to listen up now, because our own Food Safety Authority has said they recommend the same as their counterparts in the UK.
Jane Ryder of the FSAI told TheJournal.ie that those who wash raw chicken are “just splashing all of the campylobacter and germs from the chicken all over the kitchen”.
Campylobacter is the main cause of food poisoning in Ireland and the number of cases peaks in the summer months.
Last year, 2, 388 people became ill because of it with the majority of these cases being in the 0-4 years and 20-24 years age ranges. For most people, it means a couple of days with a dodgy tummy, but babies, the elderly and other vulnerable people could become seriously ill because of the bacteria.
It can also cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can leave victims paralysed.
“Cooking kills campylobacter but when you’ve splashed it all on your counter, you’re not going to cook your counter afterwards,” Ryder said. “No one thinks about getting food poisoning from it.”
Her advice is to avoid cross contamination by cooking your raw chicken directly from the container or bag it came in, use separate utensils and cutting boards for chicken and other foods and wash those hands.
Expecting the minister for health to settle this dispute I wouldnt hold my breath.He had very little say in the allocation of funds in the budget .He has no power whatsoever as far as I can see.
Can not abide such tactics, going to strike indefinitely from tomorrow… leave them off and get new people in to cover….
@Dramafree 2023: scab
@Hayagriva: yes I am a terrible human not wanting the health services held to ransom by a union and further deteriorating beyond its already unacceptable rate. indefinite strike will without a doubt cost lives… think about that. And that is why they are doing it… cos they know the gov will have to cave quicker.
@Dramafree 2023: I think the care workers have a better idea of the trouble the services are in than you.
And if they’re striking things must be bad given the relationships they built with clients everyday.
It sounds more like government blackmailing care workers to prop up a broken system so they can continue to siphon money through the bloated bureaucracy.
@Dramafree 2023: Section 39 organisations are losing staff and can’t fill those posts or any new positions due to the pay difference between us and section 38 organisations. This is impacting on the quality services like you suggest but the strikes are happening because staff deserve to be paid the same as section 38 employees for doing the same job. Staff don’t want to strike but it seems to be the last option on the table at this point.
@Dramafree 2023: Wonder why you didn’t include the government stance ? . Which would include another round of applause. Suppose the workers 100% .Government health policy has already cost lives… Perhaps you would want to read the patient waiting list times published yesterday. Of course that would not suit your narrative.
@Donal Desmond: donal you have absolutely no idea who I am, what I have read, where I work or what I know. I dont even have a narrative but I will never ever, section 38, section 39 or otherwise condone or agree with indefinite strike action as a negotiation tool. You are talking about the most vulnerable members of our society being used as a pawn between the gov and the employees. Absolutely not the way to do business and shame on anyone who feels they can justify it.
@Dramafree 2023: The government certainly have no problem in using the most vulnerable as pawns ..Who you are and what you do or read is none of my business…I replied to your comment…you have your views and I replied with my view…Is it the fact that my point of view upset you….If you post a comment ,you must expect a response…
Vote for Fianna Fail, for a brighter future
@Mary FF should not be a whipping boy for Europe plus the lefties as this is why the UK voted in Brexit
@Mary Toilet: Do you mean the Baby Blueshirts..?
Not just B holidays but everyday .
Why are these talks always at the last minute?
have your say