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Symptoms can include:
- Severe stomach cramps
- Diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Dehydration
In vulnerable populations — including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems — complications can be serious and, in rare cases, life-threatening.
Why People Still Take the Risk
- Misinformation: Some believe “a little raw” won’t hurt.
- Cooking shortcuts: Undercooking to save time.
- Visual myths: Assuming meat is safe if it “looks fine.”
- Cultural habits: Certain food practices passed down without updated safety knowledge.
Food safety experts stress that bacteria are invisible — smell, color, or texture cannot reliably indicate whether food is safe.
Cross-Contamination Makes It Worse
The danger doesn’t stop at eating raw poultry. Cutting boards, knives, hands, and countertops can spread bacteria to salads, fruits, and cooked foods, turning an entire meal into a health hazard.
“This is how people get sick even when they think they cooked everything properly,” one food safety specialist explained.
How to Stay Safe
Health authorities recommend simple but essential precautions:
- Cook poultry to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C)
- Never wash raw chicken (this spreads bacteria)
- Use separate cutting boards for raw meat
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry
- Store raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods
The Takeaway
Foodborne illness is not always about repeated bad habits — sometimes one mistake is enough. While many people continue to eat risky foods without fear, science is clear: certain foods are dangerous unless handled and cooked correctly.
When it comes to food safety, caution isn’t paranoia — it’s prevention.
If you’d like, I can:
- Rewrite this about another risky food (moldy bread, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, poisonous plants, etc.)
- Make it shorter and punchier for social media
- Add medical statistics or expert quotes
- Adapt it for kids or family audiences
Just tell me how you want it tailored.
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