Should you wash raw chicken with water before cooking it?

It’s a persistent myth that you should wash raw chicken with water before cooking. Many people think that they then rinse off any bacteria, such as salmonella or Campylobacter bacteria. But nothing could be further from the truth: by rinsing chicken under the tap, they end up on your hands, in the sink and on your countertop and the chance of infection is actually greater.

Heat through and through

The only way to kill all bacteria is to heat it properly. Heat it through and through, until it is completely white inside. Also pay close attention to the best before date when you buy chicken. Eat it before the use-by date.

Watch out for cross contamination

In addition, beware of cross-contamination. If you cut chicken on a cutting board and then the vegetables on the same cutting board or knife, you are also contaminating the vegetables. Buy a separate cutting board for meat and use it only for that purpose. Always clean it well after use with hot water and washing-up liquid.

Wash hands

Also, always wash your hands very well after touching and cutting raw meat. Store chicken meat in the refrigerator at 4 °C, on a low shelf and in the back. You can keep raw chicken meat longer by freezing or cooking it. Prepared meat can be kept in the refrigerator for two days.

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