The FSAI has urged the public not to wash raw chicken after a survey found that 57% of people wash raw chicken before cooking it- a practice the authority said could spread campylobacter bacteria onto hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment through splashed water droplets. The most cited reasons for washing chicken were given as (1) Remove dirt (2) Get rid of germs (3) That’s how they always done it.

More than 90% of the public had heard of salmonella and E.Coli, said the authority, while only 28% of people know about campylobacter. The FSAI added that, of the people who had heard of campylobacter, only 31% knew poultry was the main source of the bacteria.

Campylobacter is the main cause of food poisoning in Ireland and the number of cases peaks in the summer months. For most people it means a couple of days with a dodgy tummy, but babies, the elderly and other vulnerable people could become seriously ill because of the bacteria. Please be vigilant!!

Four out of five fizzy drinks on the UK/Irish market contain the equivalent to, or more than, the WHO recommended daily maximum for sugar intake. The survey analysed 232 sugar-sweetened drinks finding that nine out of ten sugar sweetened carbonated drinks would receive a ‘red label’ for high sugar content under traffic light labelling schemes.

Added sugars are completely unnecessary in our diets and are strongly linked to obesity and type II diabetes. The findings are troubling enough, but doubly troubling since their publication coincides with the soccer World Cup 2014, part-sponsored by soft drinks.

There was plenty of coverage this week on the big problem of escalating obesity rates in Ireland,  this is across all age groups but it was particularly alarming to hear about our young children and young adults. We must promote healthy eating and exercise to negate this very serious and very real problem. Please think about what you eat, ALWAYS CHECK THE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION!!