Big mistake cooking chicken. “Example of cross-contamination”

Nthe time to cook chicken may be eating a big mistake and putting your health at risk. A food security expert used social media to alert the situation. It has even revealed that this is a “classical example of cross-contamination”. 

Ana Rita Mateus is an expert in food security and in her Instagram account warned of a mistake that some people have when preparing chicken stuffed with cream cheese. You really put a picture of someone preparing this dish. The big question is to spread food into raw meat and then use the same tool.

Big mistake cooking chicken

“ When used a tool to spread in the chicken breast and we use the same tool to return to the original packaging, what we are doing is indirectly contaminate that ingredient”, explains the expert.

“ Raw chicken is one of the foods at risk from a microbiological point of view, since it can transport bacteria that cause us diseases, such as E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter,” continued Ana Rita Mateus.

Read Also: Chicken in the fridge? The place where you put it can put health at risk

“ This is an example of a habit that many people find harmless because many are unaware of the dangers of food origin. The rule is always the same: the tool that touched the raw chicken does not touch anywhere else ", alert.

The risks to your health

You spoke specifically of this recipe, but it can also be seen in other chicken recipes. “A chicken breast filled with cream cheese, pesto and tomato is a great recipe, and I have made it several times. But notice well how they move the fillings ", warns.

In the publication he wrote what he should not do and why he needs more attention when making this kind of dish at home. “The knife or spoon that touched the raw chicken goes back into the cheese or pesto packaging. This is cross contamination and the raw chicken can carry bacteria.”

Then the great risk is in the food that is not cooked and that can consume raw, in this case the cream cheese, which you can use again, or even pesto. “What is left of the package can be contaminated. As food is often consumed without cooking, if this happened, the safest thing is to throw it away.”

So it suggests an alternative to cooking safely. “To avoid waste, first remove for a dish the portion you will use and close the packaging. Use one tool to remove and one to spread. So the rest is protected”, advises Ana Rita Matthew.

5 things a food safety specialist never buys

Ana Rita Mateus used social media to make known what foods she never buys when she goes to the supermarket. “There are things I just don’t buy! And others that I avoid to the maximum and it is very rare to bring home”, started by saying in the publication.

Food you should avoid buying

“It’s not about prohibition or fear! It is about knowing the risk and making conscious choices”, continued. Do some of these items usually be in your cart? Know everything.

1- Half of fruit
“I don’t buy it because we don’t know how the whole fruit was before it was cut. If it already had mold zones, there may be invisible contamination and risk of mycotoxins.”

2- Ham and processed meat
“I avoid consuming frequently because they are associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer when ingested regularly, according to scientific evidence. Many products also contain added sugars.”

3- Vegetables packed with wilted or wet leaves
“I avoid because appearance is an important indicator of freshness and signs of deterioration may indicate onset of microbial growth.”

4- Salads ready to consume
“They have been associated with outbreaks of microbiological contamination. They are raw food ready to consume and the risk increases if there are cooling failures.”

5- Muzzled or swollen cans
“I really don’t buy it! Because the integrity of the packaging is compromised and poses a risk of contamination.”