Think washing chicken before cooking makes it safer? Think again. The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched a campaign urging consumers to ditch this habit.
Here's why: rinsing poultry spreads harmful bacteria, especially Campylobacter, via water splashes.
You're not alone if you've rinsed chicken in the sink—44% of Britons do it regularly. Yet this contributes to 280,000 annual cases, with four in five traced back to poultry, according to the FSA.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reports Campylobacter contaminates about 75% of chicken carcasses. Splashes transfer it to hands, utensils, countertops, and even clothing.
Campylobacter causes typically mild gut infections, but can be severe or fatal for young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people, warns the World Health Organization (WHO).
To eliminate it effectively, skip the wash, cook poultry thoroughly to kill the bacteria, and wash your hands before handling other items.
