chicken

[honkytonk]

Having read an article in a magazine that according to food standards agency we should not wash chickens as half of the chickens we eat are contaminated with camplyobacter and by washing the chicken it spreads the germs. I could never cook a chicken unless it had been washed , this and the bird flu has put me right off .

[woofgang]

I don't wash chicken or turkey for that very reason. Do you wash beef or pork?

[honkytonk]

I have always washed meat before cooking

[woofgang]

why?

[boobesque]

i have never washed meat, you are cooking it at a high temprature so i dont see why you would.

[honkytonk]

to wash the blood off that the meat has been standing in

[AliFlump]

yes i also wash all meat before i cut it or cook it wash off what its been sitting in

[mrrobbo15]

cooking the chicken is the main thing...bird flu cant survive cooking....

[spudqueen]

I read this a few years ago and haven't washed a chicken since, can't say I've noticed any difference.

[AliFlump]

ive always washed mine because my mum did and she always warned me about the germs that chicken spread so i always do it carefully,

[maggie01]

My mum used to soak the turkey in salt water overnight on C?hristmas Eve, so when I got married I did the same. When someone asked my why I did this, I couldn't answer them and realised it was not necessary.

[woofgang]

well yes, but the best way to deal with those germs is to subject them to high heat, not spread them around by splashing cool or lukewarm water about. Washing wont kill or remove the germs (unless you scrub with soap lol), it will just spread them around!!

[Buenchico]

Here's the actual FSA quote:
"We believe that the practice of
washing raw meat and poultry is likely
to lead to increased risk of spread of
Campylobacter in the kitchen through
splashes, droplets and aerosols, given
the high levels which may be present
on raw chicken. We recommend that
this practice be actively discouraged
by the FSA and industry. If necessary,
consumers should be advised only to
wipe down a chicken with a
disposable paper towel."

And here's the whole document:
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/acmsfcampylobacte r.pdf

Chris

[bigveg]

they told us at uni that 9 out of ten chickens have campylobacter on. gives you vicious runs.