No, you shouldn’t wash raw chicken before cooking it. So why do people still do it?

Food safety authorities and regulators around the world recommend you don’t wash raw poultry before cooking.

That’s because washing chicken can splash dangerous bacteria around the kitchen. It’s best just to thoroughly cook the chicken without washing it, so it is safe to eat.

Despite this, chicken-washing remains common. A survey by Australia’s Food Safety Information Council showed almost half of Australian home cooks washed whole chickens before cooking. Dutch research found 25% of consumers washed their chicken often or almost always.

So why do people do it – and what does the research say about the risks of chicken-washing?

Chicken meat and germs

Incorrect cooking temperatures and cross-contamination between different foods are two of the most important factors linked to foodborne illness.

This is particularly relevant to poultry meat. Two leading causes of foodborne illness are the bacteria Campylobacter and Salmonella, which are commonly found on raw poultry.

In Australia, reported cases of Campylobacter and Salmonella have almost doubled over the last two decades.

Of the estimated 220,000 cases of Campylobacter infection each year, 50,000 can be attributed either directly or indirectly to chicken meat.

Chicken-washing myths, busted

One analysis of consumer responses to an education campaign about the dangers of washing raw poultry shed light on why many people still wash raw chicken before cooking.

Some believe there is a need to wash faeces and other matter off the chicken meat. In fact, modern processing techniques mean chicken carcasses do not need additional cleaning.

Others believe washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) will kill bacteria.

On the contrary, research has shown washing raw poultry in lemon juice or vinegar does not remove bacteria and can increase the cross-contamination risk.