USDA: You Shouldn't Wash Raw Poultry

[left-of-center2012]

In order to help prevent illness when you’re preparing poultry (as well as other meat) at home, the USDA has three recommendations. First, that you prepare food that won’t be cooked (such as salad), before working with the raw meat—statistics show that 26 percent of study participants that washed raw poultry transferred bacteria to their salad lettuce, and 60 percent had bacteria in their sink after washing or rinsing said poultry. (Even after trying to clean the sink, 14 percent still had bacteria remaining.)

Then, it’s important to clean any surface that has touched the raw poultry and/or its juices—the combination of hot, soapy water and a sanitizer is best, according to the USDA. Also crucial? Wash your hands and any utensils/tools that touched the poultry, too. (Clean your hands immediately after handling, scrubbing for 20 seconds.)

The third tip from the USDA is to ensure that meat and poultry are cooked to a “safe internal temperature,” which you can measure with a food thermometer. Poultry (whole or ground) is safe to eat at 165 degrees Fahrenheit; ground meats (aka burgers) are safe at 160; and beef, pork, lamb, and veal are safe to eat at 145. While you might be tempted to wash or brine your meat in saltwater, vinegar, or lemon juice, the USDA warns that that won’t destroy bacteria, either. Your best bet is to keep the surfaces around you clean, and make sure your meat is fully cooked.

We also have a guide from chefs detailing nine common mistakes to avoid when cooking chicken—believe it or not, it’s actually much harder to cook than steak. However, if you remember to dry your meat in the fridge, brine it, and let it rest after cooking, you’re well on your way to a perfectly cooked piece of chicken.

Check out the rest of the tips in our roundup:
9 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Chicken, According to Chefs https://www.foodandwine.com/news/mistakes-avoid-when-cooking-chicken

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/raw-poultry-wash-usda-study

[Major Nikon]

1. There's a bit more to the story the article doesn't cover

While it may be true that 26% of those who washed their poultry transferred bacteria to their salad greens, the study also found that 20% of those who didn’t wash their poultry did also.

Not washing poultry has been a USDA recommendation for quite some time. What the study proved was there are several other ways pathogens may be transferred from raw poultry to other foods. Things like improper cleaning and sanitizing of utensils, knives, preparation surfaces, and hands also are causes of cross contamination.

[left-of-center2012]

2. 20% of those who didn't wash their poultry did also

One needs to follow all the directions.

[dem in texas]

3. how can you get lettuce and raw chicken touching?

Am I missing something here? I am 80 yrs old and I have cooked thousands of chickens and other poultry, made gillions of salads, never, ever made anyone sick. I don't dump food in the sink to wash, especially greens, I use a calendar, I am going to keep on rinsing my chicken. I usually soak it in salt water (in a bowl) or put it in a marinade before cooking.

[Major Nikon]

4. Cross contamination

Things that touch the poultry and then come in contact with other food that isn’t cooked is a common method of transmission. Knives and cutting boards are very common cross contamination vehicles as are unwashed hands. It’s almost impossible to eliminate all salmonella bacteria that can potentially cross contaminate even with the best methods, but it takes more than just a few cells to make a person sick. Incubation times for salmonellosis can range from a few hours to a few days, and symptoms can be relatively mild diarrhea to much more severe, so you wouldn’t necessarily know it if you did make someone sick.

Most people think they got it from a restaurant when they get food poisoning, but the home kitchen is the bigger risk.

[trotsky]

5. Ugh it's hard for me to watch a lot of cooking shows because of this.

They handle raw meat, wipe their hand on a towel, then get the veggies or whatever. Then they use the towel again. Bacteria everywhere.

[Major Nikon]

6. Most people just don't know when they make themselves or someone else sick

The symptoms are sometimes mild and can be one or or a combination of things like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramping that self-corrects in a short period.

While any form of meat (or vegetables for that matter) has the potential for containing enough pathogens to make someone sick, poultry is just about guaranteed.