Poultry

Raw and undercooked poultry such as duck, chicken, and turkey have a high risk of causing food poisoning. This is primarily due to two types of bacteria, Salmonella and Campylobacter, typically found in these birds.

These bacteria often pollute these risky FDA-approved store foods during slaughtering and can survive until cooking destroys them.

Research from the US, UK, and Ireland found that 41 to 84% of raw chicken sold in supermarkets was tainted with Campylobacter bacteria, and 4 to 5% was contaminated with Salmonella.

Campylobacter contamination rates were slightly lower in raw turkey meat, ranging from 14 to 56%, while the contamination rate for natural duck meat was 36%.

The good news is that even though these harmful bacteria can thrive on raw poultry, they’re eliminated when you cook the meat thoroughly.

To lower your risk, make sure poultry meat is cooked thoroughly, don’t wash raw meat, and ensure that it doesn’t come in contact with kitchen surfaces, utensils, chopping boards, and other foods since this can result in cross-contamination.