Why you should NEVER wash Raw Chicken

You may naturally rinse or wash raw chicken before you cook it, but did you know that washing raw chicken can actually be hazardous to your health? here's how... Most people are aware of Salmonella and the risk of food poisoning associated with it, but salmonella isn't the threat we're about to discuss. The threat that we want to bring to your attention is called 'campylobacter' - the most commonly contracted form of food poisoning in the UK, which affects approximately 280,000 people every single year. Enough of a threat that the FSA (Food Safety Agency) has issued an urgent warning to STOP Washing Chicken. Unfortunately, this bacteria is not limited geographically to the United Kingdom, it's quite prevalent in the United States as well and is one of the most common forms of food poisoning, the USA estimates that more than 2 MILLION people are affected by Campylobacter each year. Studies have shown that 44% of the population washes raw chicken prior to cooking, thereby risking the spread of of campylobacter bacteria on multiple surfaces (hands, clothing, cooking utensils, counter tops and more) via splashing droplets of water. Common symptoms of campylobacter poisoning include abdominal pain, severe diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis, as well as a serious condition of the nervous system known as Guillain-Barré syndrome. The center for disease control estimates that approximately one in every 1,000 reported Campylobacter illnesses leads to Guillain-Barré syndrome. As many as 40% of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases in this country (USA) may be triggered by campylobacteriosis. The Naked Truth A single drop of juice from raw poultry can have enough Campylobacter in it to infect a person! The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NAMRS) reported that Campylobacter was found on 47% of raw chicken samples bought in grocery stores tested POSITIVE for Campylobacter. Be aware that in addition to raw meat, the bacteria can also be present in the giblets, especially the liver. The theory, according to the CDC and the Food Safety Agency is that approximately 50% of all raw poultry contains Campylobacter bacteria - when people wash it they inevitably spread the bacteria from the raw chicken to nearby surfaces when water droplets bounce off the raw poultry, thereby contaminating the surfaces (including counters, cutting boards, utensils, hands, arms, clothing, etc). Since most people don't bleach the area, or they tend to wipe the area with a clean cloth, (rather than using hot soapy water), the bacteria are rapidly spread to other surfaces, where they multiply and cause cross contamination.