Defrosting chicken on counter can poison you: 3 safe methods

health

by taylor knight

Forgetting to take out the chicken may actually save your life.

Gavin van de Wall, a registered dietitian and nutritionist who runs . FoodSafePal TikTok accountposted a video revealing that thawing chicken on your kitchen counter can actually expose you to bacteria and make you sick.

The 27-second clip, which has been viewed 4.2 million times, shows that if someone leaves poultry on the counter to thaw, it can reach a “dangerous temperature range” of 40 degrees to 140 degrees, and “bacteria can rapidly develop.” It can multiply and multiply,” he said.

Food poisoning or food poisoning can occur when meat is exposed to hazardous areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns on its website. The CDC estimates that approximately 1 million people become ill each year from eating contaminated poultry.

Van De Walle instead shared three alternatives to limit potential exposure to germs.

“The safe way to thaw chicken is to thaw it in the microwave,” he tells me as I put a package of chicken in the microwave and press the defrost button.

Other options were to run the chicken in cold water or start defrosting the meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

“Also, never rinse chicken in hopes of removing germs; water splashes can actually spread germs around,” added Van de Waal, who serves as program manager. . A company called Food Safe Pal Focuses on food safety training for food handlers.

Many viewers were confused by the method suggested by the nutritionist.

“But won’t cooking kill the bacteria?” asked a curious observer.

“How about sitting out some cold water? Like in a bowl?” asked another.

However, some people have no intention of changing the defrosting method they’ve been using for years.

“After 57 years, I’m still not dead,” one person claimed. “Thank you…even after 40 years…I’ve never gotten sick.”

One woman commented, “I just ate chicken that thawed on the bench and I’ve been eating it for years.”

“I figured the only way to thaw it was to throw it on the counter. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” another joked.

Many people objected to Van de Waal’s suggestion, but according to Allrecipes.com, he was right.

“Don’t leave frozen chicken on the counter or in the sink to thaw. Even though the center of the chicken may be ice-cold, the outside parts can become warm enough that bacteria can’t stop growing.” ” Cooking site article.

Allrecipes supports nutritionists’ advice to thaw chicken in the refrigerator before using it.

“Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator at least two days before you plan to cook with it,” the site adds. “That gives you enough time to remove the ice from the thickest parts of the chicken, while keeping the outside parts cold. And more importantly, it’s safe.”

Other tips the cooking website recommends when working with chicken include placing the chicken on a plate in the bottom of the refrigerator, not leaving the meat out for more than 15 minutes, and not washing the chicken before cooking. It will be done.

in another clipVan de Waale explains the importance of transferring chicken directly from the package to the pot.

“You may think it’s safe to wash chicken before cooking, but doing so can actually spread disease,” he reveals. “Organisms called pathogens are [can spread] Protects surfaces around and near the sink from splashes. ”