Celebrity chef Marc Murphy recently made a splash on social media when he proclaimed his affection for chicken sashimi (a fancy name for raw chicken). According to Food & Wine Magazine, chicken served raw on purpose is rising in popularity.
The practice of serving raw chicken, sometimes lightly boiled or seared, began in the big trend-setting cities of Japan, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. In the US, only a few select restaurants have been bold enough to put this "specialty" item on their menu.
Is chicken suddenly safe to eat raw? Nope. Not at all. Don't do it.
Raw chicken is likely to be teeming with Salmonella and Campylobacter, two bacteria that are notoriously responsible for food poisoning cases in the US. Infections with these pathogens cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
Notably, in Japan more than 800 people have reported food poisoning episodes related to the consumption of chicken sashimi, prompting the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare to warn restaurants to "re-evaluate raw and half-raw chicken menus."
Raw chicken is one of those trends that just won't fade soon enough.
