Are frozen, crumbed chicken products safe to eat?

We tested 39 products and although none contained Campylobacter or Salmonella, you still need to cook these products properly to minimise the risk of getting sick – something not all the consumers in our survey reported doing.

A lack of awareness around frozen chicken products

Many frozen, crumbed chicken products only have a flash fried coating and contain raw chicken inside. Yet only 36% of people that eat frozen, crumbed chicken products in our recent food safety survey considered the bought product to be raw. A further 54% think they are partially cooked but still need to be fully cooked. Ten percent believe they are fully cooked and only need to be heated up.

That means some people aren’t preparing these products safely before eating them. When preparing these products at home, half the people in our survey (51%) cut one open and look at the colour or how it looks inside, 29% follow the cooking instructions, and 8% said they’ve cooked them before so know when they’re done. Only 3% use a thermometer to check the internal temperature, and 9% consider it cooked if the outside looks crispy and brown.

When preparing these products at home, how do you make sure they’re safe to eat?

Why it matters

If frozen, crumbed chicken products aren’t cooked properly, food poisoning bacteria like Campylobacter and Salmonella can survive. While the presence of bacteria doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get sick from chicken, it increases your chances. The bacteria can also be spread to other foods and contaminate surfaces where food is prepared.

Symptoms of infection develop anywhere from 12 hours to 7 days after eating the food. Typical symptoms include muscle pain, headache and fever, followed by diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting.

Overseas testing has found these convenience products can contain food poisoning bacteria. The UK’s Food Safety Agency website states since January 2020 there have been 480 cases of Salmonella food poisoning linked to frozen, crumbed chicken products. Health Canada has also reported that hundreds of cases have been linked to them.

With no data in New Zealand, we tested a range of nuggets, tenders, burgers and stuffed cordon bleu products for the presence of harmful bacteria.

None of the products we tested had detectable levels of Campylobacter or Salmonella. While New Zealand Food Safety's deputy director general, Vincent Arbuckle, says this is good news, consumers still need to be vigilant when preparing frozen chicken products because the test is a snapshot in time.

“We know it can be tricky to tell if the products are properly cooked, as the coating can look ready, while the chicken inside isn’t. It’s important to refer to and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preparing the product as well as checking that it’s properly cooked before eating.”

Mr Arbuckle says it’s also important people wash their hands after handling these chicken products, just as they would after handling any raw chicken.

“Washing hands ensures that harmful bacteria are not spread further to other foods and surfaces.”

Tips for safely cooking chicken

Our survey highlighted gaps in food safety when preparing raw chicken – the most common source of Campylobacter in food. While most people do the right thing, some people are still playing Russian roulette when it comes to preparing and eating chicken safely.

Here are our food safety tips for cooking raw and frozen chicken products.

Avoid cross contamination

Cross contamination is when you spread harmful bacteria to different food and surfaces.

To avoid spreading bacteria, keep raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat and fresh foods. Use separate chopping boards, plates and utensils when preparing uncooked chicken, or wash your kitchenware with hot, soapy water before using them for other foods.

More than half the people in our survey (61%) use separate chopping boards and utensils for raw meat and salad ingredients, 25% scrub the chopping board and utensils with hot water and detergent between preparation and 12% just wipe them with a dishcloth in between.

Wash your hands properly

Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, then dry them thoroughly.

Most people (86%) always wash their hands after handling raw chicken so bacteria doesn’t spread to other foods or surfaces, but just over half (59%) wash their hands properly – with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, then dry them thoroughly. Nine percent rinse with cold water for 10 seconds (without soap), and 8% wipe their hands with a paper towel or tea towel.

Don’t wash raw chicken

More than one-third (35%) often or always wash raw chicken before preparing or cooking it. An additional 17% sometimes do this. Chicken shouldn’t be washed. Water doesn’t kill bacteria and rinsing the chicken will just spread the bacteria to other surfaces.

If you want to remove some of the raw chicken juices, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and throw the towel in the bin.

Follow the cooking instructions for chicken products

Cook chicken at the correct temperature for the recommended time, and make sure the oven is up to temperature before cooking. Most frozen, crumbed chicken products recommend cooking from frozen.

If you’re cooking these products with other foods, such as chips or vegetables, make sure you’re not cooking them for a shorter time or a lower temperature than advised for the chicken.

Check chicken is safe to eat

After following the cooking instructions, it’s important to check your chicken is safe to eat; appliances vary, and the instructions are only a guide.

It’s not safe to eat chicken that’s pink or has red juices. Most people (71%) check the juices run clear and the meat isn’t pink. But only 18% of people check it with a food thermometer. Two percent don’t do any checks.

Chicken juices should run clear, and if you have a meat thermometer use it to ensure chicken is steaming hot (75℃ or more) all the way through.

About our test and survey

We tested 39 different frozen, crumbed chicken products for the presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in an accredited laboratory. None of the products had detectable levels.

We also cooked 15 products according to the cooking instructions to check whether they achieved a safe internal temperature of 75℃ all the way through. If a product had options for cooking – such as air frying, baking or microwaving – we cooked using all the methods.

Manufacturers of these products are cautious when it comes to cooking instructions. Some brands state on the packaging these are raw products and need to be cooked fully before eating. Other products state the chicken needs to be cooked thoroughly to a temperature of 75℃.

The cooking instructions varied depending on the size and thickness of the chicken portion. When following the instructions, all the products we cooked were safe to eat. But it’s important to note all appliances vary and most brands state the instructions are a guide only.

About our survey

Our survey data are from a nationally representative survey of 1,001 New Zealanders, aged 18 years and older, carried out online in June 2023. Figures may add to +/- 100% due to rounding.

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This report is free thanks to funding from New Zealand Food Safety. For more information about food safety and date marking visit www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-home