IS YOUR CHOOK COOKED?

Undercooked chicken is notorious for causing illness as it can harbour the bacterial pathogens Salmonella and Campylobacter. While the general advice for ensuring a chook is cooked properly includes clear running juices and making sure meat is white all the way through, it can still be unclear if it’s ready or not. Solveig Langsrud of the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research conducted a study on chicken cooking practices. It found that checking the inner colour of chicken meat is used by half of households. Other common methods include examining meat texture or juice colour. However, the researchers also conducted laboratory experiments that found colour and texture were not reliable indicators of safety on their own. Food safety messages often recommend use of thermometers to judge ‘doneness’, but the researchers found the surface of chicken meat may still harbour live pathogens after the inside is cooked sufficiently. To ensure doneness, the researchers recommend focusing on the colour and texture of the thickest part of the meat, as well as checking all surfaces of the meat are cooked, as most bacteria are present on the surface. Secondly, they should check the core. When the core meat is fibrous and not glossy, it has reached a safe temperature.