To ask a question re safe handling of raw chicken?

[Poppyyoppy]

DH is cooking fajitas. I am veggie so he’s doing two separate pans, one with meat and one without.

He has chopped the chicken on a separate board to the veg, had knife in right hand and touching chicken with left hand.

Used right hand to turn on the tap after handling the chicken, and then washed hands for maybe 10 seconds or so with soap and hot water. Then used left hand (!!) to turn the tap off, after washing.

I’m worried he didn’t wash his hands for long enough. He then moved on to chopping the veg on a separate board and put it into each pan to cook. I’m just concerned about any cross contamination or salmonella risk.

Does it sound fine to you? I do have OCD which is being managed and supported but is particularly worse lately.

I just see online that you should wash the counters down which he hasn’t done in between. I’m worried juices from the meat could’ve gone somewhere. I know I’m not even eating the chicken so probably need to calm down.

Not to be unkind but if your OCD is this bad then maybe don’t be in the kitchen when he’s cooking? At least he washed his hands and used a different chopping board.

10 secs with soap and hot water sounds enough. Also everything will be cooked any way so no risk?
Sorry to hear about your OCD. My best friend had it (though she is much much better now)

Usually I’m not but I would just wonder if not.

This is your OCD.

It's fine.

What he did sounds fine to me.

Thank you for being kind! It’s not fun, but suppose I need to get perspective. I’m sure not much raw chicken even has salmonella anyway

If salmonella was such a big risk, we'd all be coming down with it all the time!

So many people are really not all that careful about how they cook 😅but even so, salmonella is actually quite rare.

Please try not to worry about this, the chance is so miniscule.

I think your husband did fine I'm assuming this isn't his first time cooking for you both? What do you think is making you so anxious about this today?

Yes he cooks all the time, just we don’t usually have chicken at home. Who knows! I didn’t sleep very well and stress is giving me an OCD flare up at the mo where I’m worrying about various insignificant things that turn out to be non-issues every time.

I don't have OCD, but I do treat raw chicken like radioactive waste, having had two horrific bouts of campylobacter.

What your DH did is exactly what I do. He was careful about which hand touched the chicken, turned the tap on with his other hand, and only touched the tap with his "chicken" hand once he'd washed it. I sympathise, it must be awful to have OCD, but I don't think there's any danger here

I'm OCD with chicken, but he used his clean hand yo turn the tap on from what I'm reading?
I would have wiped the counter down after the chicken, but a lot of people wouldn't do that straight away. The veggies are going to be cooked anyway I assume?

If memory serves me correctly, British chickens are vaccinated against salmonella.
his handling sounds fine to be.

how would you have wanted it done?

Yes everything going to be cooked.

That sounds hard you must be exhausted. Fwiw I think the R/L hand thing is the way to do it when handling chicken, Try and not worry.

I had severe contamination OCD mostly focussed on food. Now much better but it still lingers.

It sounds like your DH was well within the reasonable bounds of food hygiene in relation to chicken.

I can completely empathise that it feels like he wasn’t - but if you’re like me, then it would take a huge amount of over cleaning / washing to feel ‘ok’ about the chicken.

The reality is that chicken is generally very safe in this country, especially if it was well in date. He has washed his hand with hot soapy water and has not touched things with a chickeny hand.

You are probably seeking reassurance to try and feel better, which again I completely get, but it’s probably a situation where you will not be able to feel truly okay with your OCD as it is. We can reassure lots, but the nature of OCD means that it is an almost bottomless pit of reassurance needs.

Have you got any techniques which help with managing the intrusive thoughts / OCD? Is there something that helps ground you? Or something which helps you focus your attention?

When I have cooked casserole I have put raw diced chicken in the pot with vegetables. No one has ever had food poisoning because the cooking process kills all bacteria.

Thank you. I really appreciate this from someone who knows how it feels. I have a book to read about intrusive thoughts which helps usually. I’m pregnant after previous losses and so lots of my worries are around keeping the baby safe, less worried for myself and more for her. The packet was well in date and UK chicken too, so taking comfort from that and know even if we ate an actual piece of raw chicken we’d probably be absolutely fine. I also just read salmonella doesn’t pass to the baby anyway which has relaxed me some more still. You’re so right about the seeking reassurance thing, I think in a way that feeds the anxiety x

Given all that is going on, it’s understandable why you would be feeling so anxious about it. I think the fact that you’ve coped to the level you have with the chicken being in the house and being cooked is good - I know I could barely cope with raw chicken even being in my presence when I was at my illest.

Be kind to yourself, you are already talking much more rationally about the whole situation! You have navigated a really difficult situation without your OCD completely taking over.

It is so difficult when the OCD is screaming for reassurance, but I know for me it can just keep the up and down of the anxiety going for longer and make it all more distressing than letting the heightened anxiety run its course and leaning on myself for resilience.

Sending lots of unmumsnetty hugs - you’ve got this

I would use the same chopping board but chop veg first and then the chicken. I have a clean right hand and use my left hand to hold the chicken. Washing with soap and water is fine and enough. I'd wipe the worktop if I thought any splashes were made.

Thank you so so much xx

Hello,

Another one who used to have severe OCD (and proof you can recover). That feeling of worry and dread is horrific but it does get better over time. Sitting with your thoughts and anxiety is hard but it does work.

it sounds like you are under a lot of stress. It might be worth contacting the Maternal OCD charity?

You’ve got this xx

I didn’t know such a charity existed, that’s amazing. I will reach out :) thanks so much.