Summary
- Point one.
- Point two.
- Point three.
- Point four.
Washing raw chicken under the tap before cooking feels like basic hygiene, and in many Indian kitchens it’s an unquestioned step. Food safety guidance from agencies like the FSSAI and international bodies actually advises against it.
The reasoning is about where the water goes, not where it doesn’t. Rinsing raw chicken can splash water containing bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter onto your sink, countertops, utensils, and anything else nearby. That water doesn’t disappear, it spreads.
Cooking chicken to a safe internal temperature is what actually kills these bacteria, not rinsing. A wash under the tap doesn’t reliably remove surface bacteria anyway, and any reduction is outweighed by the risk of cross contamination elsewhere in the kitchen.
If raw chicken needs cleaning of visible debris, patting it dry with a paper towel that’s then immediately discarded, followed by thorough handwashing and sanitising any surfaces it touched, is a safer approach than rinsing under running water.
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