Crock Pot Safety

As I constantly read cookbooks and websites to get new ideas, I keep running across something that bothers me immensely.

Most crock pot recipes state to add your ingredients, then turn the cooker on low. Sounds right.

However, think about this: My cookers take a while to come to cooking temperature. Therefore, if I have raw chicken in there, it is basically laying there for an hour, not doing anything. Would you lay it on the counter for an hour?

According to www.crock-pot.com, "Cooking meats in your Crock-Pot® slow cooker is perfectly safe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food is killed at a temperature of 165°F. Meats cooked in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170° in beef and as high as 190°F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process." I still don't like the idea of raw meat laying there while the cooker heats up.

My suggestion is to turn your cooker on low and add your liquids, while you are preparing everything else. That way when the raw meat hits the liquid, it is at least starting to get hot.

This may be paranoia, but for the fear of the food police, I think it is a great idea.