Dangers of undercooked chicken

Recently I watched the local news on television and saw Hong Kong legislators, amongst them Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee and Howard Young, enjoying a sumptuous dinner consisting of all sorts of chicken dishes, trying to convince the public not to worry about eating chicken. To my utter surprise I noticed several dishes of fried and steamed chicken still with blood on the bone and not fully well done, which traditionally is the preferred way to prepare them in Hong Kong.

Shouldn't these people urging the Hong Kong public not to worry about eating chicken in the first place advocate that they prepare chicken and eggs well done?

Don't they know that chicken and eggs in many cases carry salmonella bacteria? These bacteria can cause food poisoning, nausea, fever, intestinal cramps and diarrhoea. They are known to be extremely harmful, especially to small children, the elderly and pregnant women.

Recently a survey in the Netherlands of fresh chicken meat on sale in supermarkets and markets showed that 25 per cent contains salmonella bacteria, including even chicken labelled salmonella-free, resulting in the removal of all chicken labelled this way from the largest supermarket chain. Because of this bacteria tens of people die every year in the Netherlands.

I presume that Hong Kong is no different, even worse, and urge legislators and the Health Department to start a campaign to make people aware of this risk - instead of giving the wrong example.

MAN TING-CHU, Yuen Long