Poultry handling safety

PattyO

Why is it that chicken and turkey handling are so stressed about hygiene and cooking all the pink out. But duck should be served rare? Isn't a bird a bird? I've got my first duck breast on Miss Mini right now and wondering why rare duck is safe. I'm sure there is a reason. Do E-coli, botulism only live in chicken and turkey??

stike

chicken is generally raised jam-packed in an environment where salmonella is not only easily transmitted, but extremely virulent. eggs used to never be infected with salmonella, now the strain can be passed from the hen thru the membrane...

that said, chicken is generally served cooked thru (not pink) for texture reason more than anything. bacteria is EXTERNAL, and gets there (possibly) thru slaughter and contamination. it doesn't live IN the meat. cook the exterior, and you can eat the interior whatever temp you want. that goes for all meat, pretty much.

duck is not white meat, and more like steak. it's texture is better served rarer.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

What stike said.....
Unless it is ground meat, the bacteria is on the surface and for the most part is dead at 160 to 165 F.
The how they are raised part is another story and I won't get on my soap box....But if you can get locally (small farm) raised beef, pork, chicken, eggs.....
You will notice a difference in taste and most likely not even have to worry about the.....?????