Why You Shouldn’t Wash Chicken | Episode 73
Francine Shaw, CP-FS, FMP
CEO @ Savvy Food Safety l Co-Host @ "Don’t Eat Poop" Podcast ??? l Food Safety Expert ?? l Advisor-Consultant ????♀? l Published Author ?? l Keynote Speaker ?? l ? Goddess of Food Safety ?????
In episode 73 of Don't Eat POOP! A Food Safety Podcast , Matt Regusci and I are talking about chicken, more specifically about how you should NOT wash raw chicken.
The problem is that the majority of Americans wash raw poultry even though that does more harm than good. So, today our hosts are tackling this big issue.
Since salmonella is already in debate they are also talking about the risks behind homemade mayonnaise which becomes more prevalent during these summer months.
In this episode:
Why Washing Poultry Does More Harm Than Good?
The Short Answer:
Salmonella.
The Long Answer:
Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other harmful bacteria live on raw chicken and they can be easily transferred to other surfaces and food in your kitchen, so there are a lot of opportunities for cross-contamination.
Washing or rinsing raw poultry may prove worse because it helps the bacteria spread even more. When you add water, you give these bacteria a way to travel through your kitchen through splashing and aerosolizing.
This means that every time you wash raw chicken you are contaminating your kitchen and putting your family at risk of a foodborne illness.
Also, washing, rinsing, or brining meat and poultry in salt water, vinegar or lemon juice does not destroy bacteria, so ultimately it does more harm than good.
The Bacteria in Your Sink
Knowing this, people continue to wash their chicken.
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The problem with that is that it’s most likely not true.?
An observational study showed that “of the participants who washed their raw poultry, 60 percent had bacteria in their sink after washing or rinsing the poultry. Even more concerning is that 14 percent still had bacteria in their sinks after they attempted to clean the sink.“ - USDA, Release No. 0125.19
There’s no such thing as a little splash, any splash is enough for contamination.
Splashing isn’t the only problem though, there’s also aerosolization to contend with. Once the bacteria come in contact with the water they have the means to be transported through your kitchen and off they go.
Even so, the sink is also contaminated, regardless of the rest.
Bottom Line
Do NOT wash your chicken, seriously.
We'd love to hear from you!
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Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.
?? Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon !
#FoodSafety #Food #FoodSafetyAndHygiene #RawChicken #DontWashIt
file clerk at AAF CPA's from 1994-2017 University at Albany, SUNY alumna
3 个月You shouldn't wash it because it can splash the bacteria around and in alot of cases, COOKING will kill the bacteria you think you need to wash!
International Product Safety Consultants - The Food Safety Professionals (since 1996)
4 个月There is a difference between efficacy and effectiveness. Not washing is shown in the lab to demonstrate efficacy but in the real world kitchen this is not very effective. Tell consumers how to properly clean the work area after preparing chicken
Site Operations Manager P.C.Q.I., HACCP, OSHA 30, LSS Yellow Belt, 5S+ Leadership, P.I.T., Site Sanitation, 7 Step Sanitation Process, Allergen Cross Contact Control, P.E.M. Allergen Validation, IPM 100, 200, 300,
4 个月This is my Ick! ??????????
Podcast Launch & Podcast Management for Subject Matter Experts
4 个月I couldn't believe people actually wash chicken as I was listening to the episode. WHY??
?? Food Safety Aficionado ?? Problem Solving Maestro ??Cannabis Advocate
4 个月Gross. ?????? WHO is doing this? Show yourself