Bird flu scare has led to fear among the masses andculling of birds on a large scale. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) issued a docuemtnt in which it suggests that proper cooking inactivatesthe bird flu virus present inside meat and eggs.
FSSAI has issued a guidance document on "Safe handling, processing andconsumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu pandemic" forcreating awareness among the food business operators (FBOs) and consumers.
Proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside meat and eggs. Poultry meatand eggs from the areas affected by the outbreak of bird flu should not beconsumed raw or partially cooked, according to the document issued by FSSAI. "However, to date, no evidence indicatesthat anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cookedpoultry or poultry products, even if these foods were contaminated with theavian influenza virus," FSSAI said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that it is safe to consumepoultry meat and eggs. According to the WHO official website, there is noepidemiological data which suggests that the disease can be transmitted tohumans through cooked food.
The major Do's and Don'ts are suggested that include, do not eat half-boiledeggs, do not eat undercooked chicken, avoid direct contact with birds in theinfected areas, avoid touching dead birds with bare hands, do not keep raw meatin the open, no direct contact with raw meat, use mask and gloves at the timeof handling raw chicken, wash hands frequently, maintain the cleanliness ofsurroundings and eat chicken, eggs and their products after cooking.
The virus is destroyed at a temperature of 70-degree Celsius if held for aboutthree seconds. Also, properly cooking meat or eggs to achieve a temperature of74-degree Celsius in eggs or all parts of meat will inactivate the virus.
The FSSAI has urged the FBOs and consumers not to panic and ensure properhandling and cooking of poultry meat and eggs for their safe consumption asoutlined in the guidance document.
Although sick birds will normally stop producing eggs, eggs laid in the earlyphase of the disease could contain the virus in the egg-white and yolk as wellas on the surface of the shell. Proper cooking inactivates the virus presentinside the meat and eggs, the FSSAI said.