Why Are You Washing Raw Chicken? You’re Making Things Worse.

I started to entertain an argument on a local Facebook foodie page today over all the many reasons you should not rinse chicken before you cook it. I managed kitchens before I was on the radio, and I know a little bit about food safety. When I come across ignorance like this, I get really annoyed. Real salty.

Can you taste the salt? I can. Anyway...

Instead of getting totally bent out of shape in the comment section, I decided to write a slightly passive-aggressive and hopefully informative article. You are welcome.

Do not wash your raw chicken.

I repeat: Do. Not. Wash. Your. RAW. CHICKEN.

Now, let me explain why:

When you take a piece of slimy, raw chicken over to your sink and start washing it, the water inevitably splashes. It splashes all over your sink. It splashes up your arms. It splashes toward the faucet handles. IT SPLASHES EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T THINK IT DOES. Water droplets go EVERYWHERE, and you only need a few small campylobacter cells on something to contaminate it and make someone very ill.

While you think you might be washing off bacteria, you are actually just spreading it all over your kitchen without even realizing it. Now that the bacteria is on your hands and on your counter, your shirt and the outside of your bottle of dish soap, it can easily find its way to your mouth.

Get our free mobile app

If you're actively trying to prevent foodborne illness, washing your chicken is the worst thing you could possibly do.

The best way to make sure chicken is safe for you and your family is to cook it. Cooking the chicken kills off the bacteria in question and prevents you and your loved ones from getting sick. Plain and simple.

So quit washing your meat, you weirdos, so I can stop arguing on random food posts, and if you still don't believe me, here is a lovely video that demonstrates just how stupid you are being when you wash chicken. You can also learn more here.