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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To report pink chicken to food standards?

25 replies

BlackCatDiscoClub · 13/12/2025 19:57

I have a Japanese curry place near my house. I love their food and have never had a problem before. I got back late from work and decided to treat myself to a chicken katsu curry to takeaway. In this restaurant they take whole fried chicken breasts and snip them into strips with scissors. I noticed them doing it for the lady in front of me, and I thought the chicken looked a little pink but assumed it was the light or seasoning or something. Then it came to my turn. As he snipped, the chicken looked pink. Then, at the thickest bit, it was really pink. The guy serving noticed too, and just picked that bit out of my bowl with tongs and threw it in the bin, but snipped up the rest of that breast into the bowl. I didn't want to make a fuss, as I wasn't sure if I was overreacting, so I paid and left but binned the food.

Here's the thing, it was close to closing and maybe he'd dropped his standards a bit, or maybe this isn't as big a deal as I think it is. I'm considering whether I should report it to the council's food standards but would love to know what others think.

YABU - pink chicken isn't a big deal, let it go
YANBU - pink chicken is a hazard and you should report it to food standards.

OP posts:

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 13/12/2025 20:00

He actually picked a bit of chicken out of the bunch and chucked it? That is vile and needs to be reported. Chicken should not be pink

RasiedByOwls · 13/12/2025 20:00

It’s a really big deal, I was off work for 4 months after eating undercooked chicken on a pizza. Although maybe it was just some seasoning, can you retrieve from the bin?

Lmnop22 · 13/12/2025 20:06

It’s not unreasonable to ask to re cook.

But for one time it’s unreasonable to report it to food standards without having pointed it out and given a chance to rectify

Jk987 · 13/12/2025 20:06

Report to the restaurant not straight to Food Standards! Unless you want to ruin their business without giving them a chance to rectify the situation.

QuirkyMoose · 13/12/2025 20:12

Undercooked chicken is definitely a health issue, however, there are some instances where the meat closest to the Bone actually will be pink no matter how long you cook it. But there's a difference between a reddish / brownish/pinkish tinge to the flesh and truly undercooked pink like a translucent bubble gum pink color almost?

Hey, if you report them and they get checked upon and they are cooking the food to proper specifications then it is no big deal. But if they get checked on and found that they are not handling food properly and safely, it is a big deal so, you might want to

Rosealea · 13/12/2025 20:12

Mention it to the shop if you must but for goodness sake don't report it formally.

What's with people on this site? Everyone seems to be out to cause as many problems as possible for other people. Isn't life difficult enough!

Zanatdy · 13/12/2025 20:13

Why did you buy it? I’d have mentioned it at the time. Not sure i’d report a one off when I didn’t even eat it so couldn’t be 100% sure it was under cooked.

ChampagneJen · 13/12/2025 20:16

So you didn’t want to make a fuss but now you want to make a fuss? Can’t understand why you paid for something only to put it in the bin.

Uricon2 · 13/12/2025 20:16

This is one instance of really unsafe food hygiene that was noticed. How many more have there been or will be?

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 13/12/2025 20:19

So you didn't want to make a fuss so you brought food you wouldn't eat and then threw it away but now you want to ruin his business ...

You should have spoken up, asked for it to be cooked properly, refused to pay and if they made a big deal then considered reporting...

Hadalifeonce · 13/12/2025 20:21

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 13/12/2025 20:19

So you didn't want to make a fuss so you brought food you wouldn't eat and then threw it away but now you want to ruin his business ...

You should have spoken up, asked for it to be cooked properly, refused to pay and if they made a big deal then considered reporting...

This

Tellmeimnotcrazy · 13/12/2025 20:23

Have a look at the Food Standards Agency website to help you decide. If he thought that one biit needed chucking then the scissors were a cross contamination risk.

If you got sick then report it to the restaurant. Judge your next step based on their response.
Even if you do report it to Environmental health , they wouldnt go in all guns blazing. They are careful to maintain good relationships with businesses and tackle reports carefully.

bonesandbooth2025 · 13/12/2025 20:31

I don’t think they would care. I had campylobacter bad enough to land me in hospital after a meal out and it’s meant to be reportable
nobody asked me about it

bumptybum · 13/12/2025 20:35

I’m so sick of people saying thank you and paying and then moaning in private or going nuclear and reporting. Just grow up and say something there and then.

Foxpooshampoo · 13/12/2025 20:39

Please report them. I am an EHO. All that will happen is they will get an inspection and temperature control records and cross contamination will be assessed. If they find no issues then all is well. If they do then they will take appropriate action but if this is the only issue they won’t be closed.

Lemonfrost · 13/12/2025 20:40

I would report this, as it is a serious breach of safety standards. What I don't understand is why you accepted the dish, paid for it and then binned it! Why didn't you politely say something?!

Catladywithoutacat · 13/12/2025 20:40

Yuk report just in case if it’s nothing nothing will happen to them

Snowangles · 13/12/2025 20:41

@Rosealea and a he of a lot more difficult with food poisoning

Foxpooshampoo · 13/12/2025 20:42

And don’t feel bad about reporting. We get loads of reports.

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 13/12/2025 20:44

Pink chicken will make you very ill. Please report it.

FairyBatman · 13/12/2025 21:32

Why on earth would you pay for the food to throw it away? I get that some people are conflict avoidant but that’s ridiculous.

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 13/12/2025 21:35

bumptybum · 13/12/2025 20:35

I’m so sick of people saying thank you and paying and then moaning in private or going nuclear and reporting. Just grow up and say something there and then.

This

So much this

Stop being so passive

Sidebeforeself · 13/12/2025 21:35

You could try but without the evidence I doubt they’d be interested

Jimpson · 13/12/2025 21:43

The Local Authority would not close down a business off the back of a phone call about pink chicken! But they would (hopefully) check the concern out. I’m not one for reporting people over petty things but I think this is a genuine concern that needs to be looked at. Young children and elderly adults can die from food poisoning.

Original poster

BlackCatDiscoClub · 13/12/2025 21:59

Thanks everyone for your comments and votes! I do love a mumsnet thread, get your question answered and free personality analysis thrown in! 🤣

Just to clear up why I bought it, I totally gaslit myself that if he was OK with it then it must be fine. But on the walk home I realised I felt quite grossed out so just binned it.

Thank you so much to the EHO who replied, that was so helpful to hear. Now I know that reporting it wouldn't be 'nuclear' for the restaurant I feel much better about it. Plus, I hadn't even considered the cross contamination on the scissors! So I will report it in case anyone gets ill and it helps to create a paper trail.

OP posts:

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