Should you wash raw chicken before cooking it?

Whether or not to wash raw chicken has been an enduringly confusing question, even for those of us who have been cooking for a while. Here's the answer to clear all your doubts once and for all.

As reported by Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against washing or rinsing chicken before cooking it. The report also shared a Tweet from the US government body from 2019 where they spoke of the risks involved in washing raw chicken.

Do not wash raw chicken

In a similar vein, UK’s Food Standards Agency also advises strongly not to wash raw chicken because of the risk of spreading harmful bacteria from the chicken. According to their website:

You should not wash raw meat. Washing meat under a tap can splash bacteria onto your hands, clothes, utensils and worktops.

Washing raw meat, such as chicken, can spread harmful bacteria like campylobacter. Thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present.

‘Good kitchen practice’ for chicken

Food Standards Agencyalso has clear advice about ‘good kitchen practices’ which should be followed for people to consume chicken safely. Some of these are:

• Cover and chill raw chicken at the bottom of the fridge so that there is less likelihood of bacteria from the raw meat contaminating other things in the fridge.
• Do not wash raw chicken.
• Thoroughly wash and sanitise any utensils that came into contact with raw meat.
• Wash your hands properly after handling raw meat.
• Ensure that your chicken is properly cooked through before serving or consuming it.

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