cooperative food stores will only be selling roastinthebag chickens across its entire range from january.in response to the risks of handling raw chicken, the cooperative group is the first retailer to eliminate the need for consumers to handle chicken, which limits the potential spread of bacteria.foods standards agency guidelines encourage consumers not to wash raw chicken prior to cooking and, after handling raw chicken, to wash hands and utensils thoroughly.the rollout of the packaging follows a trial of whole chickens in roastinthebag packaging, which now account for a fifth of all whole chicken purchases. as well as helping drive food safety, the packaging offers ease and convenience while the roasting bag also seals in chicken juices and flavour. a range of unseasoned and marinated chickens will be available across the range.steve murrells, retail chief executive, said i am proud that the cooperative food will be the first uk retailer to take this step, which underlines our commitment to customer convenience and food safety. shoppers have told us it will make cooking easier because the chicken requires no preparation and can be placed straight in the oven, making it convenient for timepressed families. importantly, the new packaging offers a clear food safety advantage.steve wearne, director of policy at the fsa said the fsa welcomes the coops introduction of roastinthebag packaging for their chickens. we are looking to retailers and their suppliers to introduce a range of actions to help reduce the risks to customers from potentially harmful food bugs, especially campylobacter which is currently the biggest cause of food poisoning in the uk. roastinthebag packaging is one initiative that can help consumers avoid handling raw meat and reduce possible cross contamination in the kitchen. we hope to see more action like this from retailers to help tackle the problem campylobacter.chickens, as part of the range, will include the cooperative british extra tasty whole chicken 1.56kg 6 the cooperative british pork, sage & onion stuffed whole chicken 1.5kg 6 the cooperative british piri piri whole chicken 1.56kg 6 the cooperative british small whole chicken 1.1kg1.39kg 4.50 the cooperative british medium whole chicken 1.56kg 5 or permanently 2 for 8 the cooperative british large whole chicken 1.87kg 6 or permanently 2 for 10 the cooperative british free range whole chicken average 1.5kg 5.75kg priced per kilogramsource httpwww.thenews.coop92037newsconsumercooperativegroupaimstobattlerisksofhan…
