Pam,

My cats regularly get a variety of raw meat, mainly beef, lamb, pork, and chicken. I have never suspected an illness caused by raw meat. Cat's quite often barf if they are fed meat directly from the fridge due to it's temperature.

In regards to bacteria only chicken contains the dangerous salmonella. It permutes the muscle tissue and can only be killed by cooking the chicken thoroughly. Bacteria on pork also permutes the muscle tissue but none of this bacteria is harmful to humans (or other animals). Bacteria on lamb and beef is only superficial and is destroyed when cooked, even if only the outside is seared.
Despite all this none of these bacteria poses a real threat to kitty because their constitution is designed to cope with these bacteria. I don't believe it is a real problem for felines and in fact most vets here (and the UK) have always suggested raw chicken wings (and other meats) to promote good health in cats - in moderation.

...of course if you're talking about humans thats an entirely different kettle of fish. We aren't nearly as hardy as our feline friends.

"...This has led to an over-abundance of anti-bacterial soaps on the market (for use in the kitchen especially)..."

Excuse my ignorance, but I hope you don't mean you wash your meat with soap?

I guess I should also point out that my original recommendation was that felines be fed some foods that are not "soft" to give their teeth, gums, and jaws a decent work-out. Eating tinned and soft foods all the time is ultimately bad for the felines oral health.