This Food is the Number One Culprit for Food Poisoning

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When it comes to food poisoning there is one particular food item that causes the most sickness.
According to Reader’s Digest, the Centers for Disease Control routinely tracks outbreaks and identifies what causes food poisoning to help keep people safe. Between 2009 and 2015, there were 5,670 outbreaks of two or more people getting sick from eating a common food, which resulted in over 100,000 illnesses.
The number one culprit? Chicken.
According to Reader’s Digest, between 2009 and 2015 chicken was to blame for 12 percent of all food poisoning cases.
Americans are consuming more chicken than ever and with that comes the risk of cross-contamination, with Reader’s Digest reporting raw and undercooked chicken can contain salmonella.
Reader’s Digest share the following tips from the CDC to help prevent food poisoning from chicken:
*Place chicken in a plastic bag before putting in your shopping cart or refrigerator to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods. *Wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling chicken. *Do not wash raw chicken. *Use a separate cutting board for raw chicken and follow guidelines for cutting board care. *Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board or other surface that previously held raw chicken. *Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing chicken. *Use a meat thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165° F. *Refrigerate leftover chicken within 2 hours (or within 1 hour if the temperature outside is higher than 90° F).