You want to avoid the cross-contamination that can come from contact with the uncooked chicken.

Jack's officemate Amy told him how similar an uncooked chicken felt to the body of her baby daughter.

If carefully handled, however, it is safe to defrost uncooked chicken and to freeze it again after cooking.

Frozen uncooked chicken can be stored up to six months; frozen cooked chicken should be used within three months.

Earlier this year, the NHS issued advice not to wash uncooked chicken because of the risk of spreading bacteria to work surfaces, clothes and utensils.

When I realized it was an uncooked chicken, sheened in plastic, I must have stared harder, since the black-haired girl turned and caught my glance.