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This story originally appeared at Do You Remember by Jane Kenney.

We’ve heard this time and time again around the Internet; stop washing your raw chicken! However, now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are stepping in and officially confirming that we should not be washing our raw chicken before cooking and consuming. In a brief tweet, the CDC said, “Don’t wash your raw chicken! Washing can spread germs from the chicken to other food or utensils in the kitchen.”

We mentioned this on DYR in the past, but now the CDC is getting involved. Clearly, it must be bad enough where they need to be a tweet about it!

The CDC confirms that by washing your raw chicken before cooking and consuming, it can cause bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens to spread to other food, surfaces, or utensils that are in the area. The issue is that bacteria are invisible to the naked eye and we can’t see when it’s there. Not only that, but they can also travel far distances when you’re washing your chicken.

The U.S. Food Safety website calls the bacteria Campylobacter “one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States.” In just two to five days after coming into contact with this bacteria, you may experience cramps, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Furthermore, a study published in 2016confirmed that poultry was the most common food behind these outbreaks.

We didn’t mean to get you all hot about not washing your chicken! But it’s true: kill germs by cooking chicken thoroughly, not washing it. You shouldn’t wash any poultry, meat, or eggs before cooking. They can all spread germs around your kitchen. Don’t wing food safety!

Salmonella is another hugely common bacteria that spreads super easily, and we’ve seen tons of food recalls in the last year due to these bacteria. It can mess with your gastrointestinal tract and can cause potentially fatal complications in some people.

That’s definitely enough to make me not want to wash my chicken!

Washing raw chicken / fleej

Despite the CDC outcry to try and stop people from washing their chicken, many people protested this and share that they always did this and will continue to.

“I was taught to clean chicken with a lemon juice and vinegar rinse. I have always done it and will continue to. They are not getting a bubble bath or splashing water all over the place but I make sure after I clean counters and sink with bleach waster, sorry CDC, I will still clean chicken,” one person said.

“Two words…Bleach Spray,” another person said simply.

Washing raw chicken / Gabrielle Gatchalian / Flickr

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