Touch-free packaging introduced in stores to help squeamish Gen Y’s avoid handling raw chicken

A SUPERMARKET chain has taken drastic measures to help the “snowflake generation” who are apparently terrified of raw meat.

A SUPERMARKET chain is set to sell “touch-free” chicken aimed at “snowflake” shoppers too scared to handle raw meat.

British giant Sainsbury’s is introducing the plastic packaging allowing squeamish cooks to drop meat straight into the pan.

Experts at the store and in the poultry business noticed Millennials — those born after 1980 — were nervous about cooking and worried about catching food poisoning.

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One shopper even admitted to spraying her chicken with Dettol first before cooking it, according to a report in The Sunday Times.

Katherine Hall, product development manager for meat, fish and poultry at Sainsbury’s, said: “Customers, particularly younger ones, are quite scared of touching raw meat. These bags allow people, especially those who are time-poor, to just ‘rip and tip’ the meat straight into the frying pan without touching it.”

Ms Hall and experts from poultry suppliers carried out research into why an increasing number of customers were nervous about this part of cooking.

It revealed while Millennials were known to be adventurous with the food they ate, they seemed to be nervous about how to cook it.

Sainsbury's is launching new packaging to allow people to ‘rip and tip’ meat straight into the frying pan without touching it. Picture: iStock

Ms Hall said much of the anxiety about raw chicken came from a lack of education.

“A lot of younger people are eating out in restaurants but they are not preparing as much food in their home. If they are not used to it, they may think, ‘Ugh! I’d prefer someone else to do it for me,” she said.

She put fears down to an increasing awareness of bacteria that can cause serious, and sometimes lethal, food poisoning.

It is hoped the plastic pouches, known as ‘doypacks’ in the packaging industry, will be popular and encourage home cooking.

Data has already shown Roast-in-the-Bag chickens have been popular with shoppers which Ruth Mason, chief food chain adviser at the National Farmers’ Union, said was because consumers didn’t have to “touch a raw bird”.

She said: “We find it disconcerting that shoppers are so removed from their food that they have these concerns.

“But we are aware it is a growing trend — and a lot of the data suggests there are concerns about handling raw meat.”

Sainsbury’s chicken-in-a-pouch goes on sale on May 3.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.