And now this. Something we’ve all been doing since the beginning of time is now bad for us. We’ve all been told to thoroughly wash our food before cooking or eating, but according to a new study conducted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom, washing raw chicken before cooking could potentially kill you!
When washed, campylobacter from raw chicken can be transferred into water droplets, which may splash onto neighboring surfaces, hands, clothing, and cooking utensils. If the campylobacter bacteria are ingested directly or via unwashed cutting boards and utensils, they can cause campylobacteriosis, characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, and fever.
Though some people experience no symptoms from campylobacter, in rare cases, the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening infection. This infection is more likely to occur in people with weak immune systems, young children, and the elderly.
Campylobacter can also be a precursor to other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a debilitating disease of the nervous system.
