Is Washing Hen Earlier than Cooking a Good Concept?

As with uncooked eggs, raw hen can include salmonella and different disease-causing germs. So do you have to wash hen earlier than cooking it?

For years, consultants have urged warning and good hygiene practices when dealing with uncooked items of the hen. Many individuals thought they have been doing exactly that by washing their hen earlier than cooking. Then, in 2019, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) mentioned they have been doing the precise reverse.

Ought to You Wash Hen?

“Until you need to unfold germs round your kitchen that may make you sick, by no means wash uncooked hen,” says Samantha Thoms, MPH, RDN, a registered dietitian within the Middle of Well being Advocacy and Wellness at Florida State College. “You’ll kill the micro organism on the hen when you prepare dinner it totally to at the least 165 levels Fahrenheit.”

The CDC additionally recommends:

• Utilizing a separate reducing board for uncooked hen
• By no means resting cooked meals or contemporary produce on surfaces that beforehand held uncooked hen
• Washing your palms with heat, soapy water for 20 seconds earlier than and after dealing with hen

Why Does Washing Hen Unfold Micro organism?

“Hen is thought to hold illness-causing germs like salmonella and campylobacter,” says Thoms. “While you wash hen, contaminated water can splash in your faucet, the counter, your cooking utensils, and even your garments. This will increase the chances of spreading the germs round your kitchen and making you sick. That is very true for these with weaker immune methods, equivalent to younger kids, seniors, pregnant girls, and people with power medical situations.”