Properly cooked poultry meat, eggs safe to eat: FSSAI

New Delhi, Jan 23 : A document issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India suggests that proper cooking inactivates the bird flu virus present inside meat and eggs.
In view of the bird flu scare in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a guidance document on “Safe handling, processing and consumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu pandemic” for creating awareness among the food business operators (FBOs) and consumers.
The document suggests that proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside meat and eggs. Poultry meat and eggs from the areas affected by the outbreak of bird flu should not be consumed raw or partially cooked. Properly prepared and cooked poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat, the FSSAI said.
“However, to date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even if these foods were contaminated with the avian influenza virus,” FSSAI said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that it is safe to consume poultry meat and eggs. According to the WHO official website, there is no epidemiological data which suggests that the disease can be transmitted to humans through cooked food.
The major Do’s and Don’ts suggested are — do not eat half-boiled eggs, do not eat undercooked chicken, avoid direct contact with birds in the infected areas, avoid touching dead birds with bare hands, do not keep raw meat in the open, no direct contact with raw meat, use mask and gloves at the time of handling raw chicken, wash hands frequently, maintain the cleanliness of surroundings and eat chicken, eggs and their products after cooking.