Handling raw chicken

[Nononon]

Hi

Is it ok to handle raw chicken when pregnant, to chop etc? I have just done this and of course thoroughly washed my hands afterwards but now I'm having pregnancy paranoia and thinking I should have used gloves/sandwich bag. I have quite cracked dry skin on my hands at the moment - can germs/parasites get through?

As long as you wash your hands and follow good hygiene then there is no issue. I'm a chef and handle raw meat on a daily basis. If I have to handle a lot I wear disposable gloves but still wash my hands. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply. So I can't get infected through a cut in the hand? I find the whole food thing really nerve racking when pregnant, it makes me so anxious

It's highly unlikely. My hands are covered in nicks and cuts and so far nothing. Use a good quality anti bacterial/microbial soap and I use alcohol hand gel too. If you feel super paranoid wear gloves, you can get some very good packs of 200 from amazon. Ensure they are powder free though as it may not be food safe.

Another random tip is to rub your hands with olive oil before you start prepping any raw meat. It creates a barrier, but be careful as it can make things a bit slippery.