Do not wash raw poultry before cooking: there is a risk of food poisoning

Created: 05/14/2022, 08:30

By: Anna Katharina Kuesters

Raw poultry no longer needs to be run under the tap before cooking.

This will only spread the bacteria more.

Berlin – Anyone who prepares poultry was taught early on to wash the meat properly before cooking.

The origin of this rule is that cooks remove bacteria such as salmonella from the meat as best as possible before eating it and there is no longer a health risk when eating.

But the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment disagrees.

Washing in particular increases the risk of developing food poisoning.

Do not wash raw poultry before cooking: there is a risk of food poisoning

Salmonella on poultry die off with heat in the pan.

(Iconic image) © YAY Images/Imago

Meat is a food that places certain demands on the cook.

Proper handling is required, not only when preparing the dish, but long before that.

For example, cooks must not interrupt the cold chain from the supermarket to the refrigerator and should process the meat as directly as possible.

Poultry plays a special role because this type of meat is very susceptible to bacteria such as salmonella.

Salmonella trigger food poisoning, which manifests itself, for example, in the form of diarrhea or nausea.

They are particularly common in raw or undercooked foods such as eggs, raw cake batter, but also raw poultry.

The insidious thing about salmonella poisoning is that people are contagious for an extremely long time.

Depending on the severity of the disease, an adult can still transmit the disease for up to a month.

In children, the period is even longer: if the course is bad, the child is contagious for up to six months.

It is therefore important to avoid salmonella poisoning as far as possible.

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Do not wash raw poultry before cooking: salmonella spinner

When cooks now prepare poultry, the rule for a long time was to wash the meat well under running water first.

However, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment thwarts this kitchen wisdom and advocates the opposite.

The problem: If you keep the poultry under water, you cannot avoid water splashes.

The bacteria are already distributed in these water splashes and then end up on clothes, kitchen furniture and other objects.

So the risk of coming into contact with salmonella is much greater.

It is best for cooks to place the piece of meat directly in the hot pan and fry it.

Harmful bacteria break down in the heat.

The following rules of conduct are also important when preparing raw poultry:

• Hand wash boards and knives that have touched the meat immediately.

  The dishes wait too long in the dishwasher for washing and salmonella can multiply easily.

• Always wash hands after handling raw poultry.

  In this way, the bacteria do not spread throughout the apartment.

Poultry turns white in the pan, letting cooks know the meat is good.

According to Ökotest, consumers are on the safe side if they sear the meat for at least two minutes at around 70 degrees Celsius.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.