Washing raw chicken might seem like the hygienic thing to do, but it's actually unnecessary and can even be dangerous.
Chicken bought at the grocery store is already washed. In addition, recent studies suggest the practice does little to eliminate pathogens, while possibly spreading microbes.
Related: 1 in 5 UTIs Can Be Linked to Poor Hygiene in The Kitchen
"Despite what you've been told or seen on social media, you should never wash raw chicken before cooking," warns Julian Cox, deputy chair of Australia's Food Safety Information Council for the nation's Food Safety Week this November.
"This will likely spread bacteria throughout your kitchen, increasing the risk of foodborne illness."
It's not just Australians who are warned against this practice, either.
In 2022, an online survey found that among 1,822 consumers in the US, 73 percent of respondents said they washed their raw poultry.
Only 30 percent of that group were aware that the practice is inadvisable.
Education on the topic is clearly lacking, and it's putting people in harm's way.
Each year in the US, there are an estimated 47.8 million cases of foodborne illness, and the most common single food responsible is raw poultry.
While washing chicken isn't necessarily the direct cause, it does raise the risk.
In 2019, a study from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that 26 percent of participants who washed raw chicken transferred bacteria to their salad when they later used the sink again to wash their greens.
Thoroughly sanitizing the sink with hot soapy water is, of course, an option, but it's an unnecessary chore.
According to 2018 estimates shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store was contaminated with Salmonella.
Just recently, a disturbing study found that 1 in 5 urinary tract infections can be linked to poor handling of raw meat in the kitchen.
To best protect yourself from Salmonella and E. coli in the kitchen, the USDA advises that:
- You do not wash raw meat
- You use a dedicated chopping board for raw meat
- You scrub your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds after touching raw meat
- You use a food thermometer to ensure chicken is cooked to at least 74 °C (165 °F).
It's worth noting that this advice also applies to raw turkey. Have yourself a safe, and healthy, Thanksgiving.