Raw Chicken: The Splash Zone Creates More Problems Than It Solves
Your grandmother might have told you to rinse that chicken before cooking, but this well-meaning advice actually creates what food safety experts call a “splash zone” of contamination. USDA research has found that washing or rinsing meat or poultry increases the risk for cross-contamination in the kitchen, which can cause foodborne illness. When you rinse raw chicken, some bacteria can be splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen, which can make you sick if not properly cleaned and sanitized. Think of it like shaking a paint brush—those tiny droplets fly everywhere, landing on countertops, dishes, and even the salt shaker sitting nearby.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains that meat and poultry are already cleaned during processing, so washing it with soap or water isn’t necessary, and soap could contaminate your food with harmful chemicals. The best way to kill off any bacteria from your meat is to cook it to an appropriate internal temperature. Nearly fourteen hundred people became ill from food that was recalled in 2024—98% of them from just 13 outbreaks. Most of these cases involved proper cooking temperatures, not rinsing rituals.
Store-Bought Eggs: The Protective Shell You’re Removing
Commercial eggs undergo a fascinating process that most people don’t realize makes additional washing counterproductive. Washing is a routine part of commercial egg processing and the eggs do not need to be washed again. The “bloom,” the natural coating on just-laid eggs that helps prevent bacteria from permeating the shell, is removed by the commercial washing process. It is replaced by a light coating of edible mineral oil, which restores protection for long-term home storage of eggs. When you rewash these eggs at home, you’re essentially removing this protective barrier.
Extra handling of the eggs in your home, such as washing them, could increase the risk of cross-contamination, especially if the shell becomes cracked. Washing eggs improperly can cause more contamination than it removes. Because the chances of introducing new germs into the shell is so high, producers must follow every step of the process exactly. Fresh farm eggs are different—they need washing before use because they haven’t been processed. But those pristine cartons from the grocery store? Leave them alone.
Pre-Washed Salad Greens: Double-Washing Defeats the Purpose
That bag of spinach or mixed greens labeled “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat” has already been through an industrial washing process designed to remove pathogens more effectively than your kitchen sink ever could. At the store, you may find produce, like bagged salads or some cut and packaged fruits or vegetables, that is labeled as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat.” If you see this label, then you can safely use the produce without further washing.
If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils, especially those that have touched raw meat, poultry or seafood or their juices. The irony is that rewashing these greens in your home environment might actually introduce new contaminants from your sink, cutting boards, or colander. Investigation indicates that, regardless of pre-washing procedures in the production chain, bagged leafy greens such as rocket salad may contain Salmonella and cause outbreaks, posing a health risk to consumers. But the commercial washing process is still your best bet for safety.
Mushrooms: The Sponge Effect That Ruins Flavor
Professional chefs have long debated whether to wash mushrooms, and the science is pretty clear—they absorb water like tiny sponges, which affects both flavor and texture. Alton Brown, Harold McGee, Robert Wolke, and Kenji Lopez Alt have all tested washing mushrooms by weighing them pre and post wash, and found they absorb an insignificant amount of water. Both McGee and Wolke tested by soaking the mushroom for five minutes rather than simply rinsing. However, Lopez Alt’s testing found they absorbed only about 2% of their total weight which translated to an extra 15 to 30 seconds of cooking time.
For quality reasons, do not wash mushrooms until you are ready to use them. While fresh mushrooms do not naturally contain bacteria that can make you ill, they can become contaminated if they are grown on compost that has not been properly sterilized. The debate continues, but many professional kitchens simply brush off visible dirt rather than soaking these delicate fungi. The truth is, mushrooms are actually anti-microbial, that means that they actually kill most bacteria so they will have far less live bacteria on them.
Cooked Rice: The Bacillus Cereus Time Bomb
Once rice is cooked, washing or soaking it becomes a dangerous game of bacterial roulette. Rice, as a consequence of their cultivation, harvesting, and handling, is often contaminated with spores of Bacillus cereus, a ubiquitous microorganism found mainly in the soil. Fried rice syndrome is food poisoning caused by a bacterium known as Bacillus cereus. This microscopic germ likes to live on starchy foods like rice and pasta. The key issue isn’t the washing itself—it’s what happens when wet rice sits at room temperature.
If a raw food is contaminated with B. cereus (as much rice is) and then cooked, some spores will remain in the cooked product. These spores, If left standing in temperatures between 10 ˚C and 50 ˚C, such as on your stove or countertop, find themselves in their ideal environment (wet and warm) to germinate, grow and produce the toxin that will make you sick. When dealing with high-risk ingredients (like rice, grains and other starchy foods) it’s best to not keep leftovers at all. But if you do, try not to keep them for more than one day, and never reheat them more than once. That leftover rice sitting on your counter? Skip the rinse and get it straight to the refrigerator.
Raw Turkey: The Thanksgiving Tradition That Needs to Stop
Thanksgiving kitchens across America witness the same dangerous ritual every year—families dutifully rinsing their turkeys in the sink, believing they’re washing away harmful bacteria. While you’ll want to wash most of the produce when preparing for Thanksgiving dinner, you should never wash your turkey. Just like chicken, there is the risk of spreading bacteria while washing your poultry. The USDA recommends washing your hands and any surfaces the turkey’s juices may come in contact with with soap and warm water.
The only exception to this rule is if you are brining a turkey. You must rinse the brine off before putting the turkey in the oven. But that standard turkey from the grocery store needs no pre-cooking rinse. Deaths in 2024 were associated with deli meat, cucumbers, onions, carrots, soft cheese, chocolate snacks with mushrooms and ready-to-eat meat and poultry. The focus should be on proper cooking temperatures and preventing cross-contamination, not creating splash zones of bacteria around your kitchen sink.
Fresh Pasta: The Starch That Becomes a Breeding Ground
Fresh pasta presents unique challenges that make washing counterproductive and potentially dangerous. Meats, fish, seafood, dairy products, gravy, sauces, pasta, and even cooked rice are just a few examples of high risk foods that might be contaminated by minor mistakes. The emetic form comes from a more limited list of culprits, as it’s mostly associated with starchy foods that have been improperly stored like rice, pasta, pastries or sauces. Once pasta is cooked, its high starch content and moisture create perfect conditions for bacterial growth.
Due to its ubiquity, spores contaminate practically all categories of foods, rice and pasta meals being the most important source of B. cereus spores causing intoxication. Those spores have the ability to survive the treatments commonly given to rice and other carbohydrate-rich products. You leave the cooked food out on the counter for a few hours. Under the right conditions, the small group of spores can turn into a large gathering. And in those higher numbers, the spores will release enough toxins to make you sick. The solution isn’t washing—it’s proper storage and reheating protocols. Keep cooked pasta refrigerated and reheat it to proper temperatures rather than trying to rinse away potential problems.
