Page 2 | Please help! Scared that I ate undercooked chicken. Photo attached - does it look OK or undercooked?

Lumosmaximos · 2023-01-08T15:28:59+00:00

Photo is from one of the last bites, so I ate the whole portion of potentially undercooked chicken being 31 weeks pregnant 😨 Scared of toxoplasmosis now. Does the photo look like it is undercooked? The color is not pink but also not white. Thank you!

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HowcanIhelp123 · 08/01/2023 19:23

Thigh can often have a darker colour to it, especially if that is a bit that was nearer the bone. I wouldn't say automatically that it's undercooked.

Also, undercooked does not equal food poisoning. Most likely is salmonella, and if there was no salmonella on it then you won't catch it even if its undercooked.

sparklingdirtyglasses · 08/01/2023 19:25

Thigh does generally look a purple sort of colour. It looks cooked to me!

SproutsLCerVEGNoEgg · 08/01/2023 19:27

Cookerhood · 08/01/2023 19:18

You won't get toxoplasmosis from chicken. If you were to get anything it would be salmonella (but it looks fine to me).

You can get toxoplasmosis from
undercooked meat, veg & numerous things, not just cat poo!!

@Lumosmaximos I've been veggie for 32 years, so experience is long ago! But wouldn't the texture have been horrible if it wasn't properly cooked??

MilkshakesBringAllTheCoosToTheYard · 08/01/2023 19:27

Why do you want a toxoplasmosis test? You don't get toxoplasmosis from chicken, it's from cat poo.

Chicken infected with salmonella has to be well cooked to kill the bugs, but not all chicken has salmonella. If it was off you'd have smelled it when it was raw too.

Thigh meat is dark meat, it doesn't go as white as breast. Texture is a better guide.

25 mins on the hob should have been enough, if one bit of the piece is cooked then there's no reason why the other bit would be raw - it's not a whole bird where the heat has to penetrate into the breast and thigh.

It'll be fine.

Northernlurker · 08/01/2023 19:52

I don't think the chicken is the issue here really. Do you feel generally quite anxious? The trouble with pregnancy id you get told to avoid so many things and do so many things 'because of the baby' that it becomes v hard to see these things in context and instead you can become overwhelmed by the series of horrible things that apparently WILL happen if you put a foot wrong. When in fact all that's going on is a series of risk based conversations.
I don't think you need a test or any treatment but a chat about how anxious you feel and the impact that's having on you day to day could be a good idea.

Original poster

Lumosmaximos · 08/01/2023 19:54

@SunsetSkies11 haha what a coincedence it was actually the same way as yours - chicken coked for 10-15 min on its own (in a marinade) and then with the sauce :)

@MilkshakesBringAllTheCoosToTheYard it seems that the research says that you are more likely to get toxoplasmosis from undercooked/raw meat and unwashed vegetables than cat poop. Still very rare to get ut though which gives reassurance.

Thank you very much everybody for you input, I feel much calmer now phew, thought I won't be able to sleep tonight worrying in the beginning!

OP posts:

FurAndFeathers · 08/01/2023 19:59

Lumosmaximos · 08/01/2023 18:33

@Luana1 it tasted perfectly fine, so I am hoping may it was just this tiny piece that was undercooked. It was also cooked for quite a while (I ate it at friend's and was there while it was being cooked and I'd say it was cooked for a long enough time) so I still hope that even though it looks undercooked it is not and this color is due to some other reason.

@MrsMitford3 it says on nhs website that often toxoplosmosis goes completely asymptomatic.

@Stardustkid from what i read if it is positive I will be offered antibiotics to minimise chances of passing it to the baby.

@Lumosmaximos Toxoplasmosis is not a bacteria so antibiotics will be ineffective.

the chances of you getting it from chicken are very small. Most women have been exposed to it pre-preganacy via cat or soil contact.

was the chicken free range and organic? Chickens can only get toxo from soil contact and most housed intensively reared chickens never see soil

it does seem a very specific and unusual anxiety

BlueKaftan · 08/01/2023 20:02

This happened to me and I got stomach cramps and diarrhoea. If that happens please take a dioralyte after every trip to the toilet. Get some bananas as well. You will need to replenish your nutrients especially minerals. Best wishes OP.

Lilgamesh2 · 09/01/2023 09:18

Lumosmaximos · 08/01/2023 18:33

@Luana1 it tasted perfectly fine, so I am hoping may it was just this tiny piece that was undercooked. It was also cooked for quite a while (I ate it at friend's and was there while it was being cooked and I'd say it was cooked for a long enough time) so I still hope that even though it looks undercooked it is not and this color is due to some other reason.

@MrsMitford3 it says on nhs website that often toxoplosmosis goes completely asymptomatic.

@Stardustkid from what i read if it is positive I will be offered antibiotics to minimise chances of passing it to the baby.

Antibiotics will increase the baby's risk of allergy and autoimmune diseases so don't go pushing for that just because you are anxious.. will probably do more harm than good.

Original poster

Lumosmaximos · 09/01/2023 10:19

@FurAndFeathers thank you for the info. It was not not free range organic chicken, no, does it mean it is much less likely to be infected with toxo?

@Lilgamesh2 I didn't know about it, thank you for the info!

OP posts:

FurAndFeathers · 09/01/2023 11:23

Lumosmaximos · 09/01/2023 10:19

@FurAndFeathers thank you for the info. It was not not free range organic chicken, no, does it mean it is much less likely to be infected with toxo?

@Lilgamesh2 I didn't know about it, thank you for the info!

Yes. It f it’s not free range there’s no mechanism for the chicken to get infected. I assume you’re well today? So chances are it wasn’t undercooked.

honestly your anxiety in relation to the risks here are disproportionate

Bcad85 · 14/12/2023 22:18

Hi I'm super anxious as already have a risk of miscarriage - my husband just undercooked me a chicken curry ready meal misreading the time by half and I have eaten it. Does anyone know if it will be bad for the baby?

MmedeGouge · 14/12/2023 22:54

Cooked Thigh meat can look pink if it’s the meat nearest the bone. From what you have written about the cooking time, I am sure you will be fine. I am very fussy about chicken too!