When you prepare poultry at home, you might believe that washing it will help to remove any residual bacteria. This is a common misconception, however. Washing or soaking poultry not only does nothing to prevent food-borne illness, but it can also lead to further contamination.
Cross-Contamination
According to the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should not wash your poultry before cooking and consuming it. Although washing the meat can reduce bacteria on the meat itself, the process of washing increases your chances for cross-contamination. The bacteria from raw poultry can be transferred to other foods and household surfaces. If you decide to wash your poultry, sanitize your sinks, counter tops and all items within a 3-foot radius after washing your poultry.
Bacteria in Poultry
While the tissues of healthy animals should be free of bacteria, they often come into contact with bacteria such as salmonella, staphylococcus and listeria during slaughtering and processing. As a result, the raw poultry products that you purchase from a butcher or grocery store may contain various microorganisms. If you do not take precautions while handling raw poultry, or if you do not cook it fully, you or your family can end up suffering from a food-borne illness.
Your Best Defense
Bacteria on raw poultry multiply rapidly between the temperatures of 40 and 140 F. Your best defense against bacteria is not to wash your poultry but rather to refrigerate it immediately, at or below 40 F, until you are ready to begin cooking. When cooking or reheating poultry, the minimum internal temperature should be 165 F. If you are baking or roasting, use an oven temperature of no less than 325 F. After cooking, keep the poultry at 140 F or above until serving.
Additional Safety Tips
Before and after preparing poultry, wash your hands with soap and warm water and sanitize all surfaces with a chlorine bleach solution. You can make your own sanitizing solution by adding 1 tbsp. of liquid bleach to a gallon of water. Dispose of raw poultry packaging materials immediately after opening, and never reuse the packaging because cross-contamination can occur. If you are using a cutting board to chop raw poultry, wash it thoroughly before using it for other foods.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Food Safety and Inspection Service: Safe Food Handling: Danger Zone; May 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Food Safety and Inspection Service: Poultry Preparation: Chicken from Farm to Table; April 2011
- University of Florida; Family, Youth and Community Services: To Wash or Not to Wash: A Tale of Two Products: Raw Meats Versus Raw Produce; Amy Simonne, Ph.D.; April 2006
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