In the wake of increase in cases of the avian influenza (bird flu) the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued guidelines on safe handling and consumption of meat and poultry eggs.
The guidance issued aimed at creating awareness among Food Business Operators (FBOs) and consumers, opines cooking meat and eggs. FSSAI also asserted that eating properly cooked meats and eggs is safe even if those foods carried the virus.
The guidlines issued by FSSAI are:
- Do not eat half boiled eggs
- Do not eat undercooked chicken
- Avoid direct contact with birds in the infected areas
- Avoid touching dead birds with bare hands
- Do not keep raw meat in open
- No direct contact with raw meat
- Use a mask and gloves at the time of handling raw chicken
- Wash hands frequently
- Maintain the cleanliness of surroundings
- Eat chicken, eggs, and their products after cooking
Apart from these guidlines, the retail meat shops have been advised to not bring any live or slaughtered/dead poultry birds at retail shops from the avian influenza outbreak areas. Customers have been asked to not purchase eggs or poultry meat from the bird flu infected areas
