The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices.
The Chicken is Undercooked
There will be instances where the chicken meat is pink because it hasn't finished cooking. Undercooked chicken will have an internal temperature way below the recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If your chicken is undercooked, put it back in the oven and cook it for longer.
Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.
For a whole chicken or turkey, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. All the meat—including any that remains pink—is safe to eat as soon as all parts reach at least 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
Check for color – uncooked chicken should be pink while cooked chicken is white or tan with no trace of pink remaining. 4. Check for juices – if the juices run pink when cut into the chicken, then it is undercooked.
Chicken can be a nutritious choice, but raw chicken is often contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and sometimes with Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens bacteria. If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning.
What Happens If You Eat Slightly Undercooked Chicken? Food poisoning is the most common, which can cause symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. More serious consequences can include bacterial infections like salmonella [1] and campylobacter.
Raw meat can carry bacteria which cause food poisoning and, accordingly, eating undercooked pork or chicken may result in food poisoning. If you experience symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and fever after eating undercooked meat, seek a diagnosis from a medical institution immediately.
Poke the meat to see if juices are red or clear
For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.
Fresh raw chicken should have a pink hue to it with fat parts being white. If the color fades, it's looking yellow or gray in color, has mold or a different color tinge, it's no longer safe to eat.
The undercooked chicken will appear raw and pink, both on the inside and outside. If your chicken is slightly pink in color or if the juices are still red or pink, then your poultry is likely not cooked through. Additionally, when you cut into the thickest part of the meat, make sure that there isn't any blood present.
Fresh, raw chicken is pink and fleshy in color; if the chicken has gone bad it will be discolored and take on a dull, grayish cast. “Signs of food spoilage are pretty universal,” White says.
CDC estimates that Salmonella causes more foodborne illnesses than any other bacteria. Chicken is a major source of these illnesses. In fact, about 1 in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store are contaminated with Salmonella. You can get sick from contaminated chicken if it's not cooked thoroughly.
Poultry is generally not served medium rare or rare due to the potential risk of salmonella poisoning.
Rubbery chicken is usually an indicator of overcooked chicken. The longer the chicken cooks, the more moisture it loses, and without moisture, the protein fibers become elastic, AKA rubbery.
Chicken Doneness is a Temperature, Not a Color
Chicken meat cooks to a creamy-white color—unlike the more robust hues of cooked beef, pork, or lamb. This white color provides a much starker contrast to the occasional pink tones that can naturally occur in any meat. Dr.
“They may look pre-cooked or browned but they're raw inside,” Farber said. “To protect your family, cook the breaded chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 74°C.”
All of these foodborne pathogens can cause diarrhea usually in tandem with nausea and vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And, all it may take is one or two bites. This content is imported from poll.
The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within 1 to 2 days of eating contaminated food. They can also start a few hours later or several weeks later.
Consumer Reports found that 71% of fresh chickens tested were infected with bacteria, either Campylobacter or Salmonella. Thorough cooking kills the bacteria (freezing does not). Based on this I would say there is no guarantee, but the odds aren't in your favor. You might eat one of the 29% completely raw, and be fine.
It is true that if you eat undercooked chicken, you run the risk of contracting potentially lethal bacteria. It's dangerous to eat raw or undercooked chicken due to the possible presence of bacteria such as salmonella or campylobacter.
The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices.