A round-up of this week's other health news in brief ...
People handle raw chicken unhygienically
Most people wash neither hands nor utensils properly in handling raw chicken, according to a new study from Safefood, the food safety promotion board.
The study found that over eight out of 10 people did not wash their hands properly after handling raw chicken. Over 70 per cent did not properly wash knives used in preparing raw chicken before reusing them on salad vegetables.
Meanwhile, over half of people did not check if chicken was fully cooked.
The results coincide with the launch of a Safefood campaign to highlight common poor food hygiene practices in the home. The study recorded 120 participants while they prepared two meals – a homemade beef burger and a warm chicken salad.
The Safefood “Don’t Take Risks” campaign advises: cook chicken and minced meat until piping hot all the way through with no pink meat remaining and the juices run clear; wash hands in warm, soapy water after handling raw meat; and always wash utensils thoroughly after use with raw meat and before reuse with ready-to-eat foods.
Migraine common excuse for sickie
Faking a migraine is a popular excuse for taking a day off work, says a YouGov poll in the UK. Of over 2,100 people who admitted pulling a fake sickie, 15 per cent said they had used a pretend migraine as an excuse, writes Claire O'Connell.
Meanwhile, among people who really do suffer migraine, 28 per cent were worried the boss would not believe them, while 21 per cent were concerned their colleagues would think they were using it as an excuse.
It shows that faking has a knock-on effect on real migraineurs, according to says Migraine Association of Ireland CEO Patrick Little: “Sufferers are now afraid to tell work colleagues and employers if they have a migraine as they think they won’t be believed and will be seen as lazy or weak.”
The MAI has just launched a service to help create migraine-friendly workplaces, tel: 01-894 1280.