Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been berated online after posting a video of herself preparing a raw Thanksgiving turkey while wearing jewellery; critics promptly labelled her ‘Salmonella Sussex’ due to hygiene concerns.
The former Suits actress, 44, took to her Instagram Stories ahead of the US national holiday to share a clip of her seasoning the raw bird. "Let the 'game' begin ???? Get it? #momjokes," she captioned the post, set to Bob Dylan’s Turkey Chase.
However, eagle-eyed social media users quickly noted a major food hygiene concern: the Duchess was wearing a gold bracelet and a ring while rubbing spices onto the raw turkey with her bare hands.
Critics piled on quickly, including one X user who asked, "Meghan, what in the ‘Salmonella Sussex’ is going on here?!" A separate comment observed, "I don’t know anyone who wears their rings and bracelets when handling food. Especially a turkey. Guaranteed spread of bacteria."
The backlash then continued on Reddit as users claimed that jewellery can be a fomite for infections and this could cause potential cross-contamination. "Jewelry rubbing up against the meat. her grubby paws stroking the poor dead bird," said one user in a thread titled "Salmonella Sussex." Another added, "It's basic food handling knowledge. Proof she has no idea what she's doing."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that raw turkey can harbor bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter and that its juices can contaminate anything they touch.
Markle had earlier disclosed in a newsletter for her lifestyle brand, As Ever, that she and Prince Harry were going to host some friends at their $14 million mansion in Montecito California for the holiday.
Despite a warm Thanksgiving message and details about their family's community work volunteering at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, the focus has remained on the brief kitchen clip. The Duchess’ representatives had yet to comment on the online uproar.
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