Did I improperly handle raw chicken???

[Fledylids]

So yesterday I made some fried chicken drumsticks. I bought a pack of like 10 from Whole Foods Market the other day. Now I'm pretty sure I washed my hands after pretty much every time I handled the chicken and the spatula to move the chicken around in the pan.... except I think I may have slipped up once, and used my computer for a couple seconds before realizing I should go wash!! I guess I made the chicken around 8 last night, so it's been over 12 hours since handling the chicken. I haven't really felt sick aside from very mild stomach pains which aren't even that irregular for me. I'm just freaking out that... i dunno, maybe the bacteria has been multiplying on my keyboard? I didn't wipe down my keyboard until much much later. I guess that's what's freaking me out. I also have a tendency to pick my nose so I'm worried I got chicken bacteria up there, even though I know I washed my hands every time after handling chicken before doing anything on my face. I was careful of that. I'm just worried that there was residual bacteria on the computer.

[lollypopgirl1981]

Im sure you will be fine, im like the over chicken, even when ive cooked it for like 30mins more then i was suppose to i still think its not cooked, but i really wouldnt worry, even when i watch the cooks on telly, they hardly even wash there hands they just rinse them under water for 1 second. Sorry couldnt help more x

[Fledylids]

I guess that makes me feel a bit better. Still kinda nervous though. i guess even if I get food poisoning from this, which is unlikely at this point (since it's been like 15 hours?) it's not really that bad I guess?

[diane07]

I have handled chicken alot over the years and i too just rinse my hands after contact, i am sure you will be absolutely fine.

[Fledylids]

Like I said though my main concern is that one time I think I didn't wash my hands properly and I touched some of my other things, if only briefly...

[Alabasterlyn]

I really wouldn't worry too much as I'm sure we are all a bit careless at times when handling raw foods like chicken. I cook quite a lot of chicken and although I try to remember to wash everything thoroughly I do sometimes get it wrong.

I also keep chickens, which I know is entirely different, but on a daily basis I am picking up chicken poo, handling eggs that often have bits of poo on them and although once again I try my hardest to be as hygienic as possible, I know there are times that I've touched door handles and stuff before I have washed my hands properly.

I would add that I don't cook the chickens that I keep, they are pets :D

[uk23]

Something you may find helpful (wish I could remember the link) is that a study conducted by the EC showed that UK chicken only has up to a 3% level of salmonella, the lowest in Europe. Same with our eggs (those have a 1 in 15,000) chance.

I am the same with chicken, I wont actually handle it at all even knowing that fact.

One option is to buy it from Waitrose where, although its more expensive, its salmonella free (you can call their customer services and confirm if you like).

On a seperate note my mother just rinses her hands all the time, she always uses the same tools to handle raw and cooked and she has always been fine. My sister lives in France on a farm and handles her chicken, goats and other animals all the time, she even has a peahen living in the house with her.

Also up till the age of about 18 I ate raw beef quite often, never concerned me at all! Now i look back and think 'what was i doing?'.

edit: best thing you can do is to get a dettol wipe and brush it over your keyboard and other areas, remember most chicken type bacteria normally show within 12-24 hours.

I have literally spent tens of hours reading up about this.

[Fledylids]

Well, I still don't feel sick and it's almost been 24 hours. If anything I still have mild stomach discomfort which like I said, is not even uncommon for me. All I've eaten today are some peanut butter cookies.

I wish I could be comforted by your UK Chicken fact but here in the US standards are not nearly as good! I probably wouldn't care if it were 3%, but I think the percentage here is something like 60%? I'm not certain but I don't want to google it at the moment. Either way, I actually wiped off my keyboard this morning, so I dunno if it was too late or anything. I'm just worried because I'm a nosepicker and I'm worried some chicken bacteria got in my nose. But if it did, it would have happened last night, and I'd likely be feeling sick now.

[diane07]

On a seperate note my mother just rinses her hands all the time, she always uses the same tools to handle raw and cooked and she has always been fine.


But not at the same time i assume.

[shoegal]

Please try not to worry. It's good hygiene to wash your hands after touching raw chicken and the packaging, and to wipe down any surfaces that the raw meat may have touched but you don't need to be overly cautious. You should wash your hands after touching any raw meat but it's ok to touch the pan handles and the utensils (as long as you don't touch the bit with raw meat on it). You'll be fine. :)

[unfitwellhappy]

I wish I could be comforted by your UK Chicken fact but here in the US standards are not nearly as good! I probably wouldn't care if it were 3%, but I think the percentage here is something like 60%?


If it makes you feel any better the CDC say it's about 16% of chickens are infected.

Just because they are infected, does not mean you will automatically get infected.

The CDC also have 11.3 cases per 100,000 people so if you want a %, it's about 0.0113% of getting Salmonella poisoning.

Compare that to the odds of getting hit by lightning is 0.00036% (bout 1 in 280000) you are 31 times more likely to get salmonella.

Anyway.... I have had salmonella and was treated with antibiotics and told to increase my fluids(I couldn't leave the bathroom so the Doc had to do a home visit - gotta love the NHS!!)

So.... statistically you are all good (just be more careful lol) and even if the worst comes to the worst then it's perfectly treatable :)

[Fledylids]

Okay THAT helps a lot more.