Trichinosis Risk from Partially Cooked Pork: What You Need to Know

Question
I ate about half of a thick pork chop before I noticed that it was not completely cook. The center was a little pinkess. What are the chances of getting trichinosis from this small portion? This is the first time I have eaten pork in a couple of years.

Answer
The chances are pretty much close to zero. Trichinosis is virtually unheard of in most countries as animals, even organic-raised ones, are routinely dewormed, given antibiotics etc, plus inspected rigorously before slaughter. The only countries where there might be a tiny possibility of trichinosis would be in a tropical country like Vietnam in an area where meats weren't inspected etc.


Mind you, I've been eating raw wild meats for years without issues so I'm just a little sceptical of such scares in the media.


HTH,
RPG.