To wash or not wash your meat before cooking… This has been a discussion of debate for a long time. Well wait no longer dear readers, the verdict is in.
Dr. Jonathan Campbell, meat extension specialist at Penn State University, says“from a food safety standpoint, it’s a bad idea because we can potentially spread the bacteria that are on the meat to all other areas of our kitchen. That makes the food safety hazard even worse.” Campbell adds that washing meat also is not effective at removing all of the potential bacteria, which is best accomplished by cooking the meat to the proper internal temperature as confirmed with a meat thermometer.
A new Meat MythCrusher video produced by the North American Meat Institute and the American Meat Science Association also discusses the best strategies for safely removing meat from packaging to avoid any cross contamination and the proper temperatures for various cuts of meat and poultry.
If interested, the Drexel University website discussed in the video is found at Don’t Wash Your Chicken.
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I really appreciate it when you said that washing the meat is not a good idea because instead of removing the bacteria, there is a higher chance for it to spread. That is good to know because a friend is planning to start a restaurant in the future, and he intends to order a load of meat. Since he wants to make sure that his restaurant stays a hygienic and disease-free place, I think he should start by following these tips. Thanks!