If you wash your meat before cooking it, we need to have a talk. Stop it.

Weird Online Trends

Recently I've seen a trend in online cooking videos where someone will start the video by washing their raw chicken in the sink when they take it out of the package.  I've seen some go as far as to use dish soap and scrub the raw chicken with soap and water.   I feel like this mostly has to be for rage bait (where someone posts something just to get engagement, even though it will be negative engagement), but enough people do it that some actually defend rinsing raw meat off in the comment section of these videos.  However, you shouldn't wash your meat, let's dive into why.

Wash Your Hands (Not your Meat)

When it comes to washing things off in the sink, your hands are one thing you absolutely SHOULD wash, and wash regularly, especially after handling raw meat.   Raw meat, on the other hand, you shouldn't wash in the sink, or well, ever.  I've gotten food poisoning before, and as someone who has been there, it's a situation that I 10/10 do not recommend. If you've been there before, you know the misery that food poisoning can cause, and I'm 100% for doing anything possible to avoid getting sick from food.

Don't just take it from me, the USDA even says washing raw meat is not recommended, and all it really does is spread bacteria around your kitchen and sink.

USDA research has found that washing or rinsing meat or poultry increases the risk for cross-contamination in the kitchen, which can cause foodborne illness.

From a food safety perspective, washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking it is not recommended as the safest method. If you wash meat or poultry, some bacteria can be splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen, which can make you sick if not properly cleaned and sanitized.

 

How to Safely Rid Meat of Germs

If you are concerned with bacteria on your meat, the good news is there is a simple way to make sure your meat is free of harmful bacteria and safe to eat.  To do that make sure you cook your meat to a safe temperature.

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The USDA says:

Cooking to the right temperature (whether frying, baking, broiling, boiling or grilling) kills germs on meat and poultry, so washing these products is risky and not necessary for safety.

Never use soaps or detergents on your meat or poultry products. They can contaminate your food with chemicals and make it unsafe to eat.

Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy germs, including foodborne illness-causing bacteria.

 

What Temperature is Safe?

Temperatures vary depending on what kind of meat you are cooking.

The USDA recommends the following temperatures:

• Raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal (steaks, roasts, and chops) need to be heated to an internal temperature of 145F.
• Ground meats need to be heated to 160F.
• Poultry products are safe to eat when heated to at least 165F.
• Fish and seafood need to be 145F or until flesh is opaque and flaky.

The USDA says that some prefer to heat their meat a bit longer, and that is okay as long as it reaches the minimum temperature, it is safe to eat. If you want to learn more about food safety, you can find the full article and more helpful tips from the USDA, here.