The UK NHS and the US Food and Drug Administration advise against washing raw chicken, but recent research shows that 25% of people still do.
Washing can spread harmful bacteria from chicken to food or other kitchen utensils and can put you at risk of food poisoning.
Food hygiene expert Adam Hardgrave said, “A lot of people think they should wash raw chicken, but you don’t have to. You will kill germs if you cook it right. ”
However, if you insist on washing the chicken, new research has shown the safest way to do so.
Physicists at Montana State University say keeping meat close to the tap and under constant flowing water reduces the risk of bacteria spreading.
In their study published in Fluid Physics, they wrote: “The Food and Drug Administration recommends washing raw chicken because of the risk of transmitting harmful food-borne pathogens through water droplets. Many chefs continue to wash raw chicken in Despite this caveat, however, there is a lack of scientific research examining microbial transmission in dispersed droplets.
The researchers placed the raw chicken under taps and watched the water and bacteria spew out of nearby surfaces.
The results showed that when the chickens were placed 40 cm (15.7 in) below the tap, 22 cm (8.6 in) drops of water were spread.
However, when the chicken was placed 6 inches (15 cm) below the tap, the drops spread 2 inches (5 cm) away. Water flow also affected the dispersion of water droplets.
When he turned on the faucet that was already under the chicken, the first rush of water caused the drops to come out.
However, when the chicken was placed under the tap when the water was already running, the spraying was reduced.
In general, the results suggest that if you are forced to wash raw chicken, you should keep the meat near the tap under a constant flow of water.
It is also important to thoroughly clean nearby surfaces and keep any other raw food away from the sink.
The NHS advises: “Pay special attention to avoiding raw foods from ready-to-eat foods such as bread, salads and fruit.”
These foods are not cooked before being eaten, so any germs that may hit them will not be killed.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Arabic RT
