Instead of washing their hands, most people prefer to wash their chicken.
And that's not right -- or safe. Unless you want salmonella poisoning or other unsavory ailments.
Mistakes, miscues and other errors while handling poultry are very common, according to a study conducted by UC Davis researchers.
Almost two-thirds of people observed by researchers did not wash their hands prior to handling poultry, according to the Sacramento Bee -- and 38 percent didn't wash their hands after handling raw poultry.
Instead, about half of people observed washed the chicken, the newspaper reported.
Other crimes committed by chicken-cookers, according to Christine Bruhn, a food-safety expert at the university:
- 40 percent did not cook the chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit;
- 90 percent did not wash their hands properly.
The summertime is peak season for food-borne illnesses, as many outdoor grillers fail to follow proper procedures, according to Karen Ross, secretary of the state Department of Food and Agriculture.
