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Don't Wash Your Chicken

Although raw chicken and turkey can carry bacteria on their surfaces, research has shown that washing raw poultry under running water in your kitchen sink is a bad idea.

If germs were visible to the naked eye, you would see that washing poultry just splashes bacteria all over you, your kitchen towels, your countertops, and any other food you have nearby, such as raw foods or salads. This can make people sick, especially young children, pregnant women, older adults and the immunocompromised.

Instead, just take raw poultry straight from the package into the cooking pan. The heat from the cooking process will kill any bacteria that are present. Then simply clean up any splashes and wash your hands with soap and hot water.

To learn more, explore the four mini dramas or the photonovellas.


This material is based on work funded by the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative (NIFSI), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), under Agreement No. 2009-51110-05853. ©2013, NMSU Board of Regents. Drexel University and New Mexico State University cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Drexel University and NMSU are both equal opportunity/affirmative action employers and educators.