The microwaving raw frozen breaded chicken thingies turned out to be a huge media story. An outbreak picked up by the Minnesota State Department of Health turned into 32 people sick with the same Salmonella in 12 states, and led to numerous calls for people to be careful with this kind of meal solution, especially when using microwaves.
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I did an interview with radio station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, about microwave cooking the other day, and the host was starting to get frustrated. It went something like this:
“Maybe I should just eat local, fresh food and wash it well and I’ll be safe.”
“No. Local can be safe, but consumers have to ask about microbiological stuff – what do the growers do to keep the dangerous bugs off fresh produce.”
“Oh, well maybe I’ll just be a vegetarian to be safe.”
“No, fresh fruits and vegetables are the biggest source of foodborne illness in North America today.”
“Oh.”
“Look, I’m not trying to be Dougie Downer at the dinner table, I’m just …”
Hysterical laughter at the other end. She called me Dougie Downer for the rest of the interview, and couldn’t stop laughing.
Saturday Night Live on Thursday also covered the issue last night. The clip is available here.