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Is it Safe to Eat Raw

While there are some benefits of eating raw foods, there are also some potential problems with consuming them raw – one of the main points being a foodborne illness. Food poisoning or foodborne illness can affect anyone who eats food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or other substances. That is why it’s essential to know which foods are safe to eat raw.  

Food safety is our priority when choosing our diet plan or just selecting a meal. From a food safety standpoint, the practice of consuming raw food is risky. It places people at increased risk of illness. 

This blog will help you make safer food choices to reduce your risk for foodborne illness and save you from food contamination. You will find the following information on this blog.

Table of Contents

Is Raw Food Healthy?

Some raw foods are richer in certain nutrients than cooked foods. That’s because the cooking process can take away food nutrients, or they are easily deactivated. For example, water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin B may be lost during cooking. In fact, research says that boiling vegetables can reduce water-soluble vitamin content by as much as 50–60%. 

Similarly, certain minerals and vitamin A are also lost during preparation, although to a lesser extent. However, fat-soluble vitamins D, E and K are usually unaffected by cooking.

Incorporating certain raw foods in your diet can have numerous health benefits, specifically raw vegetables and fruits. You will be more likely to have extra energy, better skin, improved digestion. It will also reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases once you get used to eating raw food.

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Food?

Yes, but it mostly depends on the type of food and how you handle it. So you need to know which specific foods are safe to eat and which aren’t. It is more important for pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems to be extra careful. In fact, they should avoid eating risky raw foods.

Let’s look at the foods that are safe to eat raw and which aren’t.

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Meat?

According to the UK government, you should be careful when handling raw meat and cook it properly before consumption. This is mainly because of the rise of a particular strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. This has mainly been linked to lamb and mutton. 480 cases of people contracted by Salmonella were reported from January 2020 to February 2021 in the UK. Food Standards Agency provided guidelines to reduce risks of food poisoning and ensure food safety.

The Department of Health advises that you cut down meat consumption to 70g, which is the UK’s average daily consumption. Besides that, to prevent illness, you should follow these four basic steps when handling raw meat –

1. Clean

2. Separate

3.  Cook

4. Store

However, populations susceptible to developing foodborne illnesses should altogether avoid raw or undercooked meat. These include pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems.

To be on the safe side, you should always cook them by maintaining the proper temperature. You can follow the table given below to ensure safe minimum cooking temperatures to ensure it doesn’t have any harmful bacteria or viruses. (Source: Food safety)

Food (Meat)TypeInternal Temperature (°F)
Ground meat and meat mixturesBeef, pork, veal, lamb160
Turkey, chicken165
Fresh beef, veal, lamb

Steaks, roasts, chops

Rest time is 3 minutes

145
PoultryAll Poultry- breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, and stuffing165
Pork and ham

Fresh pork, including fresh ham

Rest time is 3 minutes

145
Precooked ham (to reheat)165

However, raw meat is considered somewhat of a delicacy, and we’ll see one by one if they are safe to eat or not.

Raw Chicken

In recent years, raw chicken’s popularity has raised the question, is it safe to eat raw chicken? The simple answer is: no, it isn’t safe to eat raw chicken. Raw chicken can carry significant risks of food poisoning since it might be contaminated with salmonella or campylobacter.

RAW CHICKEN

NHS shared that around 50% of chicken sold in the UK carries bacteria called campylobacter. This is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. Campylobacter poisoning symptoms include tummy pain, diarrhoea, and possible vomiting for between 2 and 5 days. However, these symptoms may vary from person to person.

Another reason why you shouldn’t eat raw chicken is that bacteria can easily survive its processing procedure.  For example,  Salmonella lives in the intestine of chickens, and it can easily contaminate the rest of the chicken while cutting it.

Despite the risks, some places in the world still prepare raw chicken dishes. For example, eating torisashi, a slightly undercooked chicken, is common in Japan. However, the chicken they use for cooking comes from controlled farms, which makes it safer. But that’s not the case for chicken in the UK. Hence, the increase in Salmonella infected patients in the UK.

Therefore, to avoid the risks of eating raw chicken, you must cook it all the way through and follow these tips –

  • The meat should reach a core temperature of at least 70 °C.
  • It must not be pink.
  • It should not have any liquid running from it.

NHS advises against washing raw chicken because it increases the chances of spreading bacteria. But rest assured, cooking it thoroughly will kill all the bacteria.

Raw Beef

Amsterdam ossenworst, Carpaccio, Steak tartare, Kachilaa – these are some typical raw beef dishes. Even though some restaurants may offer these dishes, there is no guarantee that they are safe to eat.

RAW BEEF

In fact, consuming raw beef can be pretty dangerous. It can harbour illness-causing bacteria, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Shigella. However, all of them are otherwise destroyed during the cooking process due to heat.

If you still want to eat raw beef, make sure that the meat source is safe. You should also sear the surface of the meat. That’s because, on whole cuts of beef, bacterial contamination is usually present on the outside. As long as there isn’t any risk of cross-contamination, it will be okay to eat rare meat. However, that is also why eating undercooked minced meat (such as mince and burger patties) is unsafe.

While making mincemeat, beef is grounded together. During the process, the surface bacteria mixes with the rest of the meat and contaminates it. Similarly, your utensil may become infected with the surface bacteria and spread when dicing beef. Therefore, you should thoroughly cook beef to avoid these risks.

Raw Pork

Even though raw pork dishes exist in some cultures, eating raw or undercooked pork is risky. That’s because pork meat, which comes from pigs, is prone to certain bacteria and parasites that can yield serious side effects.

RAW PORK

One parasite found in pork is Trichinella (pork worm), a roundworm that causes trichinosis infection. Not only that, but eating raw pork also puts you at risk of certain tapeworms entering your digestive tract and reproducing. These can lead to infections, like taeniasis or cysticercosis. Raw or undercooked pork can also have bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, and listeria. You can get sick from eating raw pork or cutting boards, countertops, or utensils that touched raw pork.

Thus, eating rare or undercooked pork is not considered safe. It’s recommended that you cook pork and bacon since the risks are not entirely absent.  You should cook pork at 145 °F, then allow it to rest for at least 3 minutes before you serve it.

Despite the low chances of trichinosis, there are other risks to consider. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reported that consuming raw or undercooked pork meat is the most common cause of hepatitis E infection. Most people who contract hepatitis E doesn’t show significant symptoms. However, EFSA also says that it can be fatal for people with liver damage or patients with a weak immune system. In some cases, it can lead to liver failure.

Raw Lamb

After the rise in Salmonella, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) informed the public that eating some types of ‘pink’ lamb or mutton can pose a risk. FSA said that lamb chops and steaks are fine to have pink, but mince and burger patties aren’t. (Source: BBC News)

RAW LAMB

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Eggs?

Yes, it is safe to eat raw eggs with the red lion mark on them. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said that new scientific evidence found it’s safe to eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Even those vulnerable to infection can now safely eat raw eggs provided they were produced under the British Lion code of practice. (Source: The Guardian)

Egg with a red lion mark

Source: Egg info, administered by the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC)

The familiar red stamp on egg means you can eat that egg raw without worrying about your health. However, high-risk people should avoid raw or lightly cooked eggs that are:

  • Not British Lion stamped
  • Not hen eggs (e.g. duck or quail eggs)
  • From outside the UK

NHS has provided the following advice on eating raw or lightly cooked eggs. They should be maintained properly to avoid getting food poisoning.

  • Store eggs safely in a cool and dry place, such as the refrigerator
  • Clean all work surfaces, dishes and utensils, and wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling eggs
  • Do not use eggs that are past their best-before dates

Due to improved safety controls and pasteurisation, the chances of getting salmonella from raw eggs are significantly lower nowadays. However, if you’re still concerned about food poisoning, cooking eggs thoroughly is the safest option. You can cook eggs until the egg whites and the yolk is firm to be safer.

If you think that eating raw eggs is more beneficial, it’s not. Studies suggest that the protein in eggs does not absorb as well into the body when you eat them raw. Therefore, it’s better to have cooked eggs if you’re looking for a higher protein gain.

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Fish & Seafood?

For a healthy and balanced diet, we need to eat at least two portions of fish a week, says NHS.  While most people eat cooked fish, some prefer raw fish. But is it safe to eat raw fish? To be honest, it isn’t completely safe to eat raw fish & seafood.

RAW FISH

Not all fish are safe to eat raw, mainly due to parasites. However, certain kinds of fish are comparatively safe for raw consumption depending on:

  • The type of fish
  • How they’re farmed

Even then, raw fish always carries some degree of risk of food poisoning.  The following are some reasons why it isn’t safe to eat raw fish –

  • Parasite infections from raw fish, such as – liver flukes, tapeworms, roundworms etc.
  • Bacterial infections like listeria, vibrio, salmonella etc.
  • High amounts of pollutants – that are associated with many chronic diseases.

On the other hand, eating raw fish has some benefits. Firstly, fish cooked under high heat may contain heterocyclic amines. Research says a high intake of such contaminants has an increased risk of cancer. Secondly, frying fish can reduce the amount of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Overall, eating certain fish raw can keep some aspects of nutritional quality intact.

Nevertheless, people’s preference for the texture and taste of raw fish has kept the tradition of eating raw fish alive. For example, sashimi has been served in Japan for more than 1000 years. Some other popular raw food dishes include sushi, poke, ceviche, koi pla etc.

Raw Salmon

A study found that the amount of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was 26% less in cooked salmon than raw salmon of the same type. To put it simply, POPs are toxic, industrially produced chemicals.

RAW SALMON

Whether you can safely eat raw salmon depends entirely on the source of the salmon and how it’s stored. Raw salmon is safe to eat after it’s undergone the necessary fishing and freezing process. The chances are – those at your local supermarket or fishmonger usually haven’t.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) requires food businesses that serve raw fish to maintain the following.

  • Source it from suitable farms
  • Store them under specific deep-freezing conditions
  • Prepare them hygienically

Sushi establishments usually maintain these rules, and the salmon is carefully farmed and stored, so it’s safe to consume raw.

Raw Shrimps

Like with salmon, whether you can eat raw shrimp depends on its source and how it’s stored. Shrimps that are explicitly raised for raw consumption and held at appropriate temperatures are safe to eat raw. Unfortunately, this usually isn’t the case for store-bought shrimps.

RAW SHRIMP

If you want to eat shrimps raw, ask your fishmonger for more information about where they came from. You should also make sure they are cold and don’t have an odd smell. Albeit, the best practice is to simply avoid eating them raw. This is especially important for high-risk individuals (pregnant women, children, older people, and people with weak immune systems)

Oysters

Oysters can carry viruses and bacteria from the saltwater. And if they aren’t well-cooked, they can infect the people who eat them. Raw or undercooked oysters can spread infections, namely vibriosis, hepatitis A (a virus that causes liver disease). This is why you should fully cook oysters before you eat them.

OYSTERS

Is It Safe To Eat Raw Vegetables?

Although many raw vegetables are perfectly safe and even healthy to eat, this does not apply to all of them. Many of the vegetables are difficult to digest and contain harmful toxins in their raw state. That’s why it is crucial to know what you should cook first.

Most vegetables are fine to consume raw, such as tomatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, peppers, and many more. And then there are vegetables that we should not eat raw. For instance – potatoes and mushrooms are amongst vegetables that you should never eat raw.

RAW VEGETABLES

Vegetables that You should Avoid Eating Raw

Here are some vegetables that you should never eat raw –

  • Potatoes
  • Mushrooms
  • Kidney and Castor Beans
  • Lima Beans
  • Cassava
  • Bean Sprouts
  • Rhubarb Leaves
  • Cruciferous Vegetables
  • Aubergine

Potatoes

Potato is one of the staple foods, not just in the UK but all around the world. But is it safe to eat potatoes raw? Although it’s not dangerous to eat raw potatoes, the high starch content makes them difficult to digest. Moreover, they aren’t as nutritious as when they’re cooked. However, the real danger is when potatoes turn green or sprout. At that time, they produce high quantities of solanine that is highly toxic to consume.

RAW POTATO

Therefore, there is no benefit to eating raw potatoes. You should cook them thoroughly or throw them away if they’re green or sprouting – these are not safe to eat raw or even boiled.

Eating raw potatoes can cause bloating and undesirable gastrointestinal effects. That’s because potatoes contain starch that is resistant to being digested.  But properly cooking the potatoes breaks down these starches. Even worse, if raw potatoes spend a long time in a warm or damp area, they can turn green and develop a toxin called solanine. If a potato appears to have green spots on it, you should avoid eating it altogether because the solanine could cause food poisoning-like symptoms.

Mushrooms

Although mushrooms are classified as vegetables, they are not plants rather fungi. Mushrooms are low in calories and sodium, have virtually no fat and no cholesterol. These, along with its taste, are why it is so popular among health-conscious people. But are raw mushrooms safe to eat? The consensus is that you should not eat mushrooms raw.

RAW MUSHROOM

If you’re curious about why it isn’t safe to eat raw mushrooms, here’s why. Raw mushrooms are difficult to digest and can contain certain toxins depending on the mushroom type. This includes the common white button mushroom. Therefore, you should cook mushrooms. Cooking them helps to break down the toxins and make them digestible.

Hence, it’s much healthier and safer to cook your mushrooms, even lightly, before eating them. It’s better to grill and even microwave them to preserve and increase their nutrients as much as possible. Regardless, you should always follow the packet instructions or do further research on the specific mushrooms you’re eating.

Kidney and Castor Beans

Raw kidney and castor beans are not safe to consume raw. They both contain a component known as lectins, and it’s toxic to consume. Consuming lectins can cause food poisoning like symptoms.

Red kidney beans are rich in protein, fibre, and antioxidants. However, eating them raw can wreak havoc on your stomach. Also, uncooked kidney beans contain the toxin phytohemagglutinin, which can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms similar to food poisoning. Therefore, make sure to boil kidney beans and castor beans for at least ten minutes before eating them.

These toxins are usually destroyed during cooking. Soak your raw beans for at least a few hours, drain them, then boil them. But don’t use a slow cooker. It won’t be hot enough to kill the toxin. However, canned beans are safe as they’ve already been cooked.

RAW BEANS

Lima Beans

Lima beans are very dangerous to eat raw, as they contain substances of hydrogen cyanide. This can cause severe sickness that might even lead to death. Instead of eating them raw, soak your lima beans overnight, then simmer them for at least a few hours before you eat them.

Cassava

Cassava also contains high levels of toxic cyanide. If the roots are peeled, washed, and well-cooked, they are safe to eat. But when they are eaten raw or undercooked, they can lead to diarrhoea, stomach pain, and vomiting.

Bean Sprouts

Due to the way bean sprouts grow, they might be contaminated with harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella. According to the NHS, these are responsible for many foodborne illnesses around the world. Therefore, you should always cook bean sprouts to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

Rhubarb Leaves

Rhubarb leaves are high in oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can quickly cause kidney failure in humans. However, it would be difficult to eat an amount that’s high enough to be fatal.

The fleshy, celery-like stalks of rhubarb are safe to eat. But the plant’s leaves have toxic compounds. Eating these leaves can cause burning in your mouth, breathing difficulties, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage. These vegetables are difficult to digest raw and can cause issues for people with thyroid conditions. Though cooking can affect the vitamins in these vegetables, cooking them on low heat with less water can help preserve nutrition.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

Aubergine

It can be very harmful to eat raw aubergine because it contains the same toxic chemical as raw potatoes (solanine). To be on the safe side, you should cook them. Also, cooked aubergine tastes better.

Some Other Raw Foods You Should Not Eat

There are some other types of foods you should know about before consuming them raw. While some foods have increased benefits when you consume them raw, others are highly dangerous.

Flour and Dough

It can be very tempting to taste the batter while making cookies, but that can make you sick. Since flour isn’t intended to be eaten raw, the wheat isn’t usually treated. Therefore, it can be contaminated with pathogens such as E. coli. That is why it is important to remember the following when you are using flour.

  • Don’t taste raw dough or batter.
  • Don’t add flour to foods that won’t be cooked. 
  • After using flour, don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly. 

A boul of flour

Regardless, if you want to eat something containing raw flour, you should only do so if the flour is heat-treated. Heat-treated flour is comparatively safe for raw consumption.

Bitter Almonds

The FSA advises against consuming bitter almonds as they contain amygdalin. It’s a natural plant toxin that results in the release of cyanide during digestion.

Eating just a handful of bitter almonds can make you sick. Fortunately, they aren’t sold raw in general, but you must roast them if you purchase them raw. However, the almonds you buy from stores are usually sweet, and they are safe to eat.

Word Of Caution For Eating Raw Food

While many people find it delicious and actually enjoy eating raw food, there are some things that you should be aware of before eating raw food.

Risk of Foodborne Illness

When eating raw food, the biggest risk you may encounter is contracting a foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning.

This can be caused by eating food contaminated with viruses, bacteria, parasites, or toxins. Some common symptoms of foodborne illness are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, fever, headache and more. These symptoms usually appear within 24 hours. They can last up to 7 days or longer in some cases, depending on the pathogens (infectious agent or a germ). In general, properly cooking food destroys potentially harmful germs. However, pathogens still remain in raw food. So we can’t eat all foods raw.

High-risk Individuals

Certain groups of people are more vulnerable to foodborne illness. This means that they are more likely to get sick from contaminated food. Also, if they get sick, the effects are more severe. These groups include:

  • Pregnant women
  • Children younger than five years
  • Adults age 65 and older
  • People whose immune systems are weakened due to illness or medical treatment

High-risk individuals should avoid consuming raw foods from consuming certain raw or undercooked foods. If you’re unsure if you are at risk, consult with your physician or registered dietitian nutritionist.

The Bottom Line

Eating raw foods, including fish and meat, are common around the world, though this doesn’t mean they’re safe. The major risk associated with eating raw food is developing foodborne illnesses caused by contamination from harmful pathogens or toxins.


There are some ways to reduce risks when eating raw foods, though to avoid risk altogether, it’s important to cook foods properly. But to preserve nutritional value, we must know what foods are safe to eat raw. Food Safety Management and Personal Hygiene are of utmost importance. Take t

Food Safety Management and Personal Hygiene
This course teaches you everything on the topic thoroughly from scratch so you can achieve a professional certificate for free to showcase your achievement in professional life.
Food Safety Management and Personal Hygiene
This course teaches you everything on the topic thoroughly from scratch so you can achieve a professional certificate for free to showcase your achievement in professional life.
October 25, 2023
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