Poultry Buyers Neither Handle, Nor Cook, The Birds Safely, Study Finds

A large percentage of consumers who buy poultry neither handle nor cook it properly, according to a U.S. study. Less than two-thirds of consumers own a food thermometer to check whether poultry is properly cooked, and less than 10 percent who own thermometers use them. It was also found that only 18 percent of consumers correctly store raw poultry products in the refrigerator, and only 11 percent of consumers who thaw raw poultry in cold water do it correctly. Nearly 70 percent rinse or wash raw poultry before cooking it, a possibly dangerous habit because of the risk of splashing contaminated water around the kitchen.