Washing chicken is unnecessary—and even dangerous

More than a quarter of people wash chicken before putting it in the pan or oven, according to research by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. It may seem very clean and proper to rinse chicken, but it’s actually extremely risky: washing causes the chicken’s bacteria to splash throughout the kitchen. Don’t do it anymore, warns the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.

Earlier research already showed that people in America and England rinse chicken before cooking it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre has now found that this is also a habit in the Netherlands. Most people learn it from their parents.

Water and vinegar

In Surinamese communities, washing chicken first is considered a good habit. Not to remove bacteria from the meat, but to rinse away the smell of blood and small pieces of bone. Some barbecue fans also wash meat, especially chicken, with a mixture of water and vinegar, or water and lemon. This is supposed to help the rub or marinade adhere better.

Water splashes

Don’t do it anymore, says the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. ‘Campylobacter and salmonella bacteria can actually be spread by water splashes and the juices from raw chicken to, for example, the kitchen counter,’ they write. The result: a risk of food poisoning, and that’s really no fun.

Do you still want to wash the chicken? Then make sure you thoroughly clean the sink, counter and tiles afterwards. The cutting board you placed the raw chicken on, the knife you used to cut it and the chicken packaging are also sources of contamination, so handle them sensibly: put plastic straight in the bin, and wash the knife and cutting board with hot water.

Also read:

• Why you should clean your water bottle much more often than you do already
• Are wooden spatulas unhealthy?
• 11 brilliant things you can do with salt besides adding flavor

Source: NOS.nl