A Dangerous trend

John Ensor MEDIA outlets in Spain are warning of a new food preparation fad that originated in America which could potentially have serious health consequences.

In what is called a dangerous viral trend that is starting to gain acceptance around the world, Spanish health authorities have had to issue a warning not to follow the advice of certain influencers as the likelihood is it will make you ill.

There has been much debate in Spain about the practice of preparing chicken prior to cooking. It is not that they wash the chicken with a little water before putting it in a casserole, the new trend is to actually use soap to clean it. A practice which they claim helps get rid of impurities during cooking.

The reality is it has the exact opposite effect. It actually releases bacteria out of the chicken and contaminates the kitchen. Chicken is usually cooked unwashed, and any bacteria will disappear under high cooking temperatures. If the chicken is washed with soap, any bacteria is spread from the sink to the kitchen.

In the US, health authori­ ties here have already warned that it can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and, in extreme cases, even high fever. Consumers have been urged not to copy this trend.

1,298,000

Malaga Metro number of passengers in April 2023

FOR the first time ever in the history of the Balearic Islands, a British man has been elected as the mayor of a small town in Mallorca. Fifty­two­year­old, Richard Thompson and his wife, settled in Mallorca nine years ago, is now the mayor of Sant Joan, according to a news source.

Sant Joan has a population of around 2,000 people and sits in the centre of Mallorca. However, it has found itself in the news recently due to its new British mayor.

Mr Thompson originally hails from West Sussex, where he worked as a teacher. Although married to a native of Sant Joan, Richard is not a Spanish citizen, but his resident status was enough for him to serve on the council and qualify to run as a mayoral candidate.

Despite his appointment being a first for the islands, he will not be the first British person to occupy mayoral status in Spain.

In 2008, the Costa Blanca saw Briton, Mark Lewis, become mayor of a small town following the arrest of a number of corrupt councillors. And in Leon, Briton, Carmen McPhee, became mayor of a farming village some 10 years ago.