You’ve probably done it countless times. You bring home a package of raw chicken, unwrap it at the sink, and give it a good rinse under running water. It feels like the right thing to do, doesn’t it? Like you’re somehow making that chicken cleaner, safer, more ready for cooking. Turns out, you might actually be doing the exact opposite. Food safety experts have been sounding the alarm for years now, and the science behind their warnings is pretty shocking once you dig into it.
The Alarming Statistics Behind Raw Chicken Contamination
According to 2018 estimates shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store was contaminated with Salmonella. That’s a startling figure when you think about how much chicken Americans consume. Every year in the United States about 1 million people get sick from eating contaminated poultry. These aren’t just minor stomach upsets either. Of the four raw meat products, chicken was most frequently contaminated with Campylobacter (70.7%), followed by turkey (14.5%). When you consider that raw chicken can be contaminated with Campylobacter, Salmonella, or Clostridium perfringens germs, the stakes become crystal clear. Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 2019 indicate that 64.7% of non-dairy Campylobacter illnesses were attributed to chicken.
Why Washing Chicken Is Actually Making Things Worse
Let’s be real here. Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended because bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. The problem is something called aerosolization. When that water hits the chicken surface, it doesn’t just magically wash away bacteria. The USDA says bacteria on raw chicken, like salmonella, ride misting water droplets out from the sink in a process known as “aerosolization,” splattering the food-prep area in a 2-3 foot radius. Even more concerning, the force of the water can splash bacteria up to 3 feet, contaminating nearby surfaces, utensils, and even other food items. Your kitchen counter, that dish towel hanging nearby, the bowl of salad ingredients waiting to be prepared. They’re all potential targets for bacterial contamination.
The Scientific Evidence From Landmark Studies
This provides the first experimental evidence that washing raw chickens can lead to significant cross-contamination in a home kitchen. Researchers actually conducted experiments using large agar plates positioned around kitchen sinks to track bacterial spread. What they discovered was fascinating and disturbing at the same time. Washing chicken in the sink under standard kitchen faucet conditions can eject droplets containing culturable levels of pathogens throughout the kitchen. The study examined different variables like faucet height, water flow rate, and aeration levels. The level of bacterial transmission increased with greater tap height and water flow rate. Aerated water (which is what you get when the tap is running very hard) also increased splashing and bacterial transmission. These aren’t theoretical risks. The bacteria were actually grown from the water droplets that landed on surrounding surfaces.
Cooking Is The Only Real Defense
Here’s the thing food safety experts want you to understand. Rinsing or soaking chicken does not destroy bacteria. Only cooking will destroy any bacteria that might be present on fresh chicken. No amount of water, vinegar, lemon juice, or any other rinsing solution will eliminate the pathogens on raw poultry. Washing, rinsing, or brining meat and poultry in salt water, vinegar or lemon juice does not destroy bacteria. The only thing that works is heat. Use a food thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. That temperature isn’t arbitrary. It’s the point at which dangerous bacteria are destroyed, making your chicken genuinely safe to eat. Cooking the chicken to 165 °F using a digital food thermometer will kill any dangerous bacteria, and make it safe to eat.
The Cultural Practice That’s Hard To Break
Despite all the warnings from health authorities, washing chicken remains surprisingly common. In 2022, an online survey found that among 1,822 consumers in the US, 73 percent of respondents said they washed their raw poultry. Even more troubling, only 30 percent of that group were aware that the practice is inadvisable. Recent findings from Australia show the problem might actually be getting worse. Since 2021, the proportion of home cooks typically washing raw chicken has increased, up from 49 percent for whole chicken, 43 percent for skin-on pieces, and 40 percent for skinless chicken pieces. Many people wash chicken because it’s what they’ve always done, or what they saw their parents or grandparents do. Some consumers may wash or rinse their raw meat or poultry because it’s a habit or because a family member they trust has always washed their meat.
How Bacteria Survive On Kitchen Surfaces
The bacteria from raw chicken are remarkably resilient once they land on your kitchen surfaces. Campylobacter can survive in your kitchen for up to 4 hours and Salmonella can last for up to 32 hours. That’s a frighteningly long window for potential contamination. These pathogens aren’t just sitting there harmlessly either. They’re capable of causing serious illness if they make their way into your body. Cross-contamination studies have revealed just how easily this happens during normal meal preparation. Of the participants that did not wash their raw poultry, 31% still managed to get bacteria from the raw poultry onto their salad lettuce. This demonstrates that even without washing, handling raw chicken poses risks. The difference is that washing dramatically amplifies those risks.
The Hand Contamination Problem Nobody Talks About
Honestly, one of the biggest revelations from recent research is how much our hands contribute to the problem. Hand-facilitated cross-contamination is suspected to be a factor in explaining this resulting lettuce cross-contamination. A particularly eye-opening study found something rather embarrassing about how we wash our hands. Only 1% of the more than 200 participants demonstrated correct handwashing based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations: wet hands with water; rub hands with soap for at least 20 seconds; rinse hands with water; and dry using a clean, one-use towel. The vast majority of people simply aren’t washing their hands properly or frequently enough when handling raw chicken. Researchers observed that only 25% of participants washed their hands before preparing food, after touching raw poultry or packaging, after touching another person, after touching a cell phone or after touching trash or a trash can.
What Restaurants Get Wrong About Chicken Preparation
The problem extends beyond home kitchens into commercial food preparation. Forty-two percent said that raw chicken was often or always washed or rinsed before preparation. That’s nearly half of restaurant kitchen managers admitting to a practice that food safety experts strongly advise against. Forty percent of managers said that they never, rarely, or only sometimes designated certain cutting boards for raw meat (including chicken). These practices in professional settings are particularly concerning because restaurants serve so many people. The potential for a single contamination incident to affect numerous customers is substantial. Less than half of the kitchen managers we talked to: Knew the temperature to which chicken should be cooked (165°F) Said that their food workers use a thermometer to tell when chicken is fully cooked.
What Food Safety Experts Actually Recommend
Instead of washing your chicken, experts suggest a completely different approach. If you see anything on the chicken you want to get rid of, wipe it off with a clean paper towel. Never rinse or wash chicken. This simple method avoids the splashing and aerosolization problems entirely. After handling raw chicken, immediately washing your hands becomes crucial. Washing hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds can help eliminate germs from your hands. Surface cleaning matters too. Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing chicken and before you prepare the next item. Using separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables is another layer of protection. 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. The official guidance from federal agencies couldn’t be clearer on this point.
