The meal that nearly caught me out!

EHO Story 📩

You’d think an Environmental Health Officer would know better than to eat undercooked chicken, right?

Well, here’s a confession: I almost gave myself food poisoning at my own leaving do.

It was my last day as a student Environmental Health Officer. Our team went out for a celebratory meal, and I was too busy talking to notice what I was eating.

Halfway through a chicken satay skewer, I looked down and realised something wasn’t right.

The middle was still pink, completely raw!

Panic kicked in straight away. I knew exactly what that meant… and let’s just say it wasn’t the kind of “leaving present” I wanted.

Thankfully, I didn’t get ill, but it was a close call and a very humbling reminder that even EHOs can get caught out.

Food Safety Tip ✅

Chicken (or any poultry) needs to be cooked all the way through before serving.

Here’s what to check:

✔️ Use a digital thermometer to check that the thickest part reaches at least 75°C.

✔️ Cut into the thickest part and check there is no pink meat left and that juices run clear.

The Serious Lesson

It only takes one undercooked meal to lose a customer’s trust, or make them seriously ill.

Train your team to take cooking checks seriously, because no one wants their customer (or themselves!) spending the night worrying about food poisoning.