According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), you at home, and professional chefs, need to watch out for your wellbeing if you include chicken livers in your diet. If not prepared properly, you could cause harm to your wellness from food poisoning from campylobacter.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, with the Food Standards Agency saying that the bug has caused more than 300,000 yearly cases of food poisoning and 15,000 admissions in England and Wales. Over the past 2 years, the number of outbreaks of campylobacter infections has increased, says the HPA, and this has occurred mainly at restaurants, being linked with poultry liver pâté or parfait. However, restaurants are not the only source of campylobacter threat as the Food Standards Agency has stated that the majority of shop-bought chicken (65%) is also contaminated with the bug.
According to Dr Dilys Morgan of the HPA, ‘It has become apparent that chicken liver pâté/parfait is being served more frequently. This product is also being promoted in Christmas recipes published in magazines and the instructions do not always stress clearly enough how very important it is to ensure that livers are cooked sufficiently to kill the campylobacter. The public and the catering industry need to be aware that undercooking this product, i.e. allowing the centre to remain pink, can result in food poisoning.’
Morgan went on to warn that ‘It’s important to get the message across that chicken liver products need to be cooked thoroughly. Food poisoning is an unpleasant experience for most people but for those with underlying health conditions it can be extremely serious.’
Therefore, experts at the Food Standards Agency advise that chicken liver must be cooked all the way through and not just seared, even though some recipes say that searing chicken liver is enough to kill any bacteria. Campylobacter can be present throughout the liver, not just on the surface, and so the FSA urge that you cook chicken liver thoroughly until it is steaming hot all the way through, and that you handle liver, kidneys and other types of offal hygienically to avoid cross-contamination. For your reference, the centre of the liver should reach a temperature of 65°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for 2 minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds or 80°C for 6 seconds.
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