Scroll through social media, and you will find videos of people saying washing raw chicken can spread bacteria all over your kitchen and actually make your food less safe. Contrarily, most of us have been rinsing raw chicken under running water all our lives, believing that it is the "clean" thing to do. So, who is right? Well, we reached out to experts to find if washing raw chicken before cooking can increase the risk of cross-contamination rather than reduce it.
Why People Wash Chicken In The First Place
For many people, washing chicken is simply a habit. It is often passed down through generations as part of traditional kitchen hygiene. Some do it to remove what looks like blood or dirt, and others believe it helps "clean" bacteria off the meat before cooking. It feels like an extra layer of safety, doesn't it?
But food scientists say that feeling can be misleading. Raw chicken can naturally carry harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter, two of the leading causes of foodborne illness worldwide. When chicken is rinsed under a tap, water hits its uneven, soft surface and creates tiny droplets that bounce and scatter.
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That splash may look harmless, but it can carry bacteria to nearby surfaces like your sink, faucet handles, countertops, knives, utensils, cutting boards, and even ready-to-eat food sitting nearby.
Experts Warn Against Washing Raw Chicken
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A fascinating study published through PubMed confirmed exactly this. Researchers used large agar plates to track bacterial spread and found bacteria transferred from chicken surfaces through splash droplets. They also discovered that faucet height, water flow, and even the softness of chicken itself can increase splash distance and contamination risk.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "When you rinse raw chicken, the water picks up 'chicken juice' and all the bacteria in it. You can contaminate your sink, countertops, cutlery, food, and anything else in the splash zone." Not rinsing, but cooking the chicken to the proper internal temperature kills germs or bacteria.
Manish Singh, Chief Quality Officer at Licious, explains, "Washing raw chicken may feel like an extra safety step, but it can actually increase the risk of cross-contamination. When water comes into contact with fresh-cut poultry, tiny droplets can carry bacteria. Water does not make chicken safer; thorough cooking does."
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Meanwhile, Prreya Aggarwal, Director at Zappfresh, says, "We believe the focus should remain on safe food handling practices overall, including proper storage, maintaining kitchen hygiene, avoiding cross-contamination, and cooking chicken thoroughly.
So Does Washing Remove Bacteria?
Water may remove visible residue, but it does not kill bacteria. The dangerous microbes can still remain attached to the chicken's surface. The only reliable way to eliminate harmful bacteria is heat. When chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73.9 degrees Celcius), bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter are destroyed.
If you want to ensure your chicken is safe to consume, follow these steps:
- Keep raw chicken separate from vegetables and ready-to-eat foods.
- Use separate cutting boards if possible.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry.
- Clean and sanitise kitchen surfaces immediately after prep.
- Let the meat cook properly.
The science clearly says washing raw chicken does not make it safer. In many cases, it can make your kitchen riskier by spreading bacteria where you cannot see them. However, if you still wish to clean it before cooking, patting it with a paper towel and disposing it carefully is the better way to ensure safety.