FDA Says Stop Rinsing Off Raw Chicken…
Ok so here’s the debate: To rinse off your raw chicken before cooking or not to rinse off before cooking.
The FDA use to encourage this practice and now they are saying “Washing raw poultry before cooking it is not recommended” since bacteria can not be removed from raw chicken by washing, but only by cooking.
They say that washing risks splashing raw juices over the sink, counters, etc, which greatly increases the chances of salmonella and other illnesses through cross contamination.
Well what about that icky juice that chicken is sitting in while in the package, you ask? Well the FDA says “it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant.”
Ummm….ok here’s the thing. I CAN’T NOT wash off my chicken. It just seems so……wrong!! I totally understand their reason for recommending not to rinse raw chicken, but I just can’t get passed that slimy film that is sometimes on fresh chicken. I know it cooks off but….. perhaps it’s just a mind thing with me.
Salmonella and other food-borne diseases are common, painful and can even cause death in kids, elderly or those with weak immune systems. I got food poisoning from a restaurant once and thought I was going to die! We certainly don’t want to contaminate our familes so what do you do if you just can’t get down with the no-rinse rule?
Well here’s what I recently started doing:
I have a huge pail that I use to rinse off my meat. I sit it in the sink and turn the water on really low (so that it doesn’t splash) and rinse off my chicken. I wash my hands over the pail when I’m done washing my chicken and then flush the dirty water down the toilet. To clean the pail I spray it down with Clorox Anywhere Spray, let it sit and then wash it out and flush that water down the toilet. That way everything is contained and nothing gets contaminated.
*****************update********* Aint nobody got time for this!!! I went back to rinsing my chicken off carefully in the sink under low water pressure and then I clean the sink with my homemade spray of vinegar, citrus, tea tree oil and grapefruit oil.
So what do you think??? Do you rinse or not rinse?
Info: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/chicken_from_farm_to_table/index.asp
I totally understand the feeling to rinse your chicken off and I do as well but then I get overly paranoid about the cross contamination from splashing and touching things when I touch the raw chicken. I spray antibacterial…turn on the hot water until steam appears…bleach whatever to ease my mind from the thought of contaminating my kitchen.
I don’t believe FDA about not washing our meat before cooking. I will continue to wash my meat because it is SO disgusting just putting a raw meat right onto the stove.
That sounds like a good plan. My only problem is the flushing of the water down the toilet. Our toilets are flushed using drinkable water (unless you have a rain or grey water harvesting system). So with every flush you are possibly wasting about 9l of water (unless if you have a water efficient toilet so this can range from 6-2.6l) on top of the water you used to wash the chicken (efficient taps lose 5l per min when left running) and will later use to wash your hands (another 5l per min) and the sink (another 5l per min) etc. In Developing countries they can live off about 10l of water per day (if available) and we use nearly that much on one flush. We are running out of clean drinkable water so we have to be more sustainable with it 😀 sorry to be a nerd.
I never thought about washing my meat as killing the bacteria just handling it is better when washed. In my family we always rub the chicken down with lime as well. The lime does not leave a flavor and it helps with the bacteria. We also do this in a big deep bowl. And we wash the bowl with a paper towel with water and soap, no sponges.
oh, shoot — PS — when I said I turned ’em inside out — i meant the gloves — and I only wash the chicken, etc. with water from the spigot — not the bleach mixture — brining or soaking in buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken — and lemons and chicken just go together — also, I often have a little bowl of really hot water that has a few drops of bleach and dish liquid — I keep it inside the “other sink” and can dip my hand in it quickly to rinse if need be — the plastic glove over the knobs really alleviates that “ick” feeling of turning the water off and on while prepping — and — icky stuff like breading fried chicken, which the gloves just get gooey — those old-fashioned tongs work well, too, for dipping in wet batter — but the running water at a moderate stream helps me think it’s doing something, even if it’s not. I cannot imagine not rinsing the chicken first — : ) (plus I always say a prayer for the chicken who gave its life so that I and my family (including those begging 4-leggers meowing under the table) would have a meal.
I’m a washer, too — but — I buy those packs of 100 little plastic gloves from the Dollar store (Dollar Tree here in Va.) and I plop one over the knob for the kitchen sink and wear ’em to wash and handle all the raw meat — then wash the outsides and turn them inside out and throw away in a plastic grocery bag I use just for this purpose — I knot the bag — I then place that bag into another bag — i have a chest freezer; in the summer I put the two contained bags in the freezer until it’s time for the trash — in the winter if it’s freezing I just throw it in the outside trash container — but — I make my own mixture of 1 part cheap bleach to 4 parts water and everything gets a thorough washing — I ensure both sinks are empty prior to this — and — while I’m washing and prepping the chicken — I have a large pot of boiling water on the stove, and when the chicks in whatever pot or oven, and after I’ve bleached everything down (using paper towels) I pour boiling water down the sink, too. I have a well on my property, so I’m always concerned about ground water contamination — I also do this with all meats — I hate touching raw meat — I don’t wash ground meats, though — or bacon, etc. — your bucket’s a good idea, too, but I’m concerned about polluting the water supply via the toilet — the boiling water down the sink should do the trick : } — I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your website.