Breakdown of Wenn roh, ist das Geflügel keineswegs sicher.
sein
to be
sicher
sure / certain
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Wenn roh, ist das Geflügel keineswegs sicher.
How can Wenn roh form a complete clause without a subject or verb?
This is an elliptical subordinate clause (a shortened clause). Because the subject and the verb are identical to or easily guessed from the main clause, they can be dropped. The full version would be: Wenn es roh ist, ist das Geflügel keineswegs sicher.
Why does the main clause start with the verb ist right after the comma?
Even though Wenn roh is shortened, it still occupies the entire first position in the sentence. To satisfy the standard German verb-second rule, the conjugated verb ist must come immediately after the comma.
Why doesn't the adjective roh have an ending here?
Because it acts as a predicate adjective describing the state of the poultry, just as it would in the unshortened phrase Wenn es roh ist. Adjectives only take endings when they are placed directly in front of a noun (like in rohes Geflügel).
Can I just use nicht instead of keineswegs?
Yes, you could simply say ist das Geflügel nicht sicher, but keineswegs is a stronger adverb meaning 'by no means' or 'not at all.' It emphasizes the absolute lack of safety.