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This is a question that can, will and should always be answered in a multiple of ways.

Firstly, the answer depends on largely how you were brought up; if like me it was acceptable to chow down on a chicken breast that was uncooked then chances are it is OK for you to do this. Most people will frown upon doing so and I will get to the reasons why now.

Salmonella

Firstly ALL reptiles, (this includes birds as birds are reptiles; and so is a Chicken) have the Salmonella bacteria present in and on them, it is this reason that you CAN get sick from eating raw chicken. I say CAN, because it is not always guaranteed that you will get sick from eating chicken that is raw, as it depends on the level of bacterium present within the meat, if it is actually present on the part you are eating, your bodies tolerance to bacteria, even to how the bird was fed, reared then slaughtered. Even the way the meat is handled and ships matters.

Is it raw or undercooked?

Generally speaking, if it is raw, it is possible to thoroughly wash the meat in cold fast running water and attempt to remove whatever toxins by other methods (that's If these toxins even exist). Alternatively you can send the meat to a lab for testing which is however, both time consuming and expensive; and if the results are clear, then you can chow down. There is one problem with the lab method however, although thoroughly subjecting it to a multitude of bacteria tests is great for deeming the food safe, the chicken part would probably have started to decompose by the time the result came back. In addition to this, some of the methods used for testing, involve subjecting the food (in this case the Chicken) to chemicals and apparatus that is potentially harmful for human ingestion.

Anyway, undercooked food is far worse than raw. Reason being is the heating process will allow germs to start to grow, until food reaches a minimum core temperature, anything between 5- 100 Celsius is regarded as dangerous. If cooked, it should be maintained at 72 Celsius as minimum; and consumed as quickly as possible. Freezing and defrosting is also not a wise choice if you choose to eat a raw chicken part, mainly (and contrary to popular belief) because freezing does NOT kill bacteria. Freezing merely only prevents bacteria from growing (technically known as multiplying) at a rate which is harmful to humans and prevents the food from decomposing as quickly. Once food has thawed then the danger process of bacteria splitting, multiplying and dividing begins. Eating raw frozen meat is not clever either, because it will thaw out in your stomach, and the sudden temperature change will cause thousands if not millions of bacteria to spawn, and multiply in your stomach, this in turn makes you critically ill. It is worth noting, that insufficiently cooking food either through lack of temperature, or lack of time will make you more susceptible to far more dangerous bacterium than Salmonella. E-Coli, Clostridium, Botulism, and Heliocobacter strains (also Heliocobacter Pylori) all thrive on improperly handled and undercooked food. Seafood, Chicken and Lamb are the worst candidates for this kind of poisoning, equally as bad are dairy produce, and care with storage and cooking should always be taken if you are handling any of these foods.

Cross contamination

How do you know that you have not already got the germ on you from somewhere else? Bacteria can take between 15 minutes and several hours to reach dangerous levels, so the chances are you will never really know whether the raw chicken made you sick, unless you get a sample analysed of both the food, and of your vomit/ stool. The result will show what bacteria has made you sick. Comparing this to the sample of food will either confirm or rule out if the bacteria are the same strain. If they are, presto, the raw chicken is the culprit that messed you up. If the results do not show the same strain of bacteria, then you need to rethink what and more importantly, where you ate that made you go down with the poisoning.

Handle one piece of raw Chicken and you are fine, yet you handle another cut from the same bird and you get ill; why? Certain parts of the meat will breed bacteria faster and more virulently than others, so care must always be taken to remove as much of potential germ catalysts as possible, only then could you even think about risking it.

Your metabolism and digestive system

Some people are more resistant to bacteria than others. If you are a person always reaching for the hand sanitizer and germ spray over a tiny coffee ring, then chances are you will get seriously ill if infected with a germ. reason being is your body has not had the chance to build up resistance to certain germs. So the morale of the story is, the less you use antibacterial cleaners and chemical wipes the more your body will cope with germs..

Some people may just have weaker or compromised immune systems. People with Hepatitis or HIV/AIDS should be far more careful as any bacterial infections are harder to treat, make the problems far worse and can even be life threatening.. Those with weaker immune systems through natural reasons, can in theory make themselves sick in order to make their immunity stronger, although this is not advisable.

The "Plus" side of eating raw Chicken

Consuming various raw foods in cases is actually beneficial for both your long term physical health and also for your mind. The reason for this is because all forms of heating food actually destroy certain vitamins and minerals that exist in uncooked foods. At the top end of vitamin destruction is the good old fashioned Microwave Oven. This off white (or whatever colour yours is) box of tricks is ram packed full of equipment that outputs mind burning amounts of radiation which obliterates valuable vitamins and minerals within seconds. They work by exciting water molecules which in turn produce heat. Now because nearly 90% of the food you consume is made of water, any complex vitamins that exist within the food are destroyed because the water is driven out of the food. Microwave radiation will kill anything living, however it will not necessarily kill germs.

Frying (deep fat, pan, shallow etc) is another good way on how to destroy good vitamins and minerals, furthermore, this method, because it involves the use of butter, lard, margarine, or some kind of oil, is actually worse for your health. The cooking method of frying actually drives bad fats back into the food, while at the same time, killing good minerals; where as the food may taste better; because it has allowed to cook in fat, means that additional fats and sodium (salt) will be transferred to your food. Although in the short term and in moderation, probably will not harm you; long term consumption of fried foods is likely to increase your blood pressure, and also raise the levels of lipids, sodium, glucose and triglycerides in your blood. These factors are directly proven to be a contributory factor for coronary artery disease, hypertension, strokes, Diabetes, cardiac disease, heart attacks and premature death.

The lesser of the two evils are both boiling and grilling. Firstly lets start with boiling. This is a great way to maintain some of the foods taste properties and also limits vitamin destruction. It is best suited for vegetables and funny enough, Chicken. Boiling meat is great for removing bad fats, but will also drive out good fats that are beneficial to your diet, makes the food taste blander if not vegetables. With vegetable, always ensure it is still crunchy to maintain some of your nutritional value. Or better still, just eat it raw.

Grilling is similar, only direct heat transfer is what cooks your food. Also similar to frying, but grilling does not retain as much fat as frying would. Also still a great way to destroy valuable vitamins and minerals.

The Verdict

In short you can eat raw Chicken if it is reared and cleared in the correct way, I would also suggest eating one as fresh as possible, and stay away from frozen ones and definitely undercooked. If you are going to eat it, either raw it or cook it. Also be prepared that you could get ill, and take necessary measures before eating. Staying hydrated will help minimize complications if you are ill, and also making sure you have adequate bathroom facilities is a must, just in case. If you have an important schedule to make, do not consider the gamble unless you want to specifically avoid what you have to do by using the means of getting ill as an excuse to dash your plans. Also if you are on any treatment whatsoever for any problem for any reason with regards to kidneys, liver, immune system or digestive system then do not even consider taking a risk, because you could get life threatening complications that ultimately put an unpleasant end to your life. Select your Chicken wisely, and do not even consider eating something that is anything less than 99.9% fresh.

Other than that, you are a Chicken Commando, so with this information you should be able to eat your first piece of raw chicken knowing you should be OK.

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10y ago
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10y ago

No, it is not. Most people find the taste and texture repulsive, plus you risk infecting yourself with several pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses, and intestinal parasites like worms.

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10y ago

You can get sick, or then again, nothing may happen. It all depends on if the chicken is tainted.

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15y ago

No, raw chicken can have salmonella!

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