Air-fried or microwaved frozen chicken products can cause food poisoning, warns US health authority

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• Dec 11, 2022 | Poonam Nath

US authority warns against consuming frozen foodstuffs as they may be harmful if they contain salmonella germs...

Digital Desk: Based on a recent study, microwaved or air-fried frozen stuffed chicken products can be toxic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that foods that are referred to as "breaded," such as chicken stuffed with cheese and broccoli, chicken cordon bleu, and chicken Kiev, should be baked in a regular oven because they may include raw chicken.

The report stated that because frozen stuffed chicken products are only partially cooked to set the breading, which gives them the appearance of being cooked, they have been consistently linked to salmonella outbreaks.

Despite their appearance, these products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius. Since 2006, producers and manufacturers have been adding labels to identify these products as raw and to advise against using microwaves to cook them. Instead, standard ovens should be used.

According to reports, many of these frozen stuffed chicken products include salmonella or bacteria that are not always eliminated if the temperature is not high enough. Most appliances heat one half of the product while freezing the other, which may include salmonella germs, a bacterial infection that affects the intestine.

According to the CDC data, 2,546 persons in the United States cooked frozen stuffed chicken products at home. People used air fryers 30% of the time, microwaves 29% of the time, toaster ovens 14% of the time, and other appliances 4% of the time. Many of these appliances lack the wattage needed to destroy salmonella germs.

As per CDC reports, 36 identical infections and 12 hospitalizations were reported in the United States in 2021. Every year in the United States, bacteria-related sickness causes around 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 fatalities.

Another recent study found that the first salmonella outbreak in Finland, which occurred in 2021, was triggered by frozen tomato cubes. 44 outbreak-related cases were reported to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Choose to eat healthy instead of Junk.