What seems like a common custom in any neighbor's house poses a huge risk to our health , according to the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The FSA cautions that washing chicken before cooking, whether in the oven, pan or any other cooking method, increases the risk of spreading campylobacter bacteria on clothing, hands, or kitchen equipment by splashing water while rinsing. .
This bacteria, according to the FSA, is the most common form of food poisoning in the UK, with 4 out of 5 cases of food poisoning being caused by contaminated chicken. Affected people often have vomiting and diarrhea and, less commonly, irritable bowel syndrome and even Guillain-Barré syndrome.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), campylobacter is the most common cause of gastroenteritis , an increasingly common infection in developed countries. To avoid this, the FSA recommends cooking the product well as the best method of killing bacteria .
“Although people tend to follow best practices for handling poultry, such as washing their hands after handling raw chicken and making sure it is well cooked, our research has found that washing raw chicken is also a common practice. That is why we are asking people to stop doing this practice, ”says Catherine Brown, executive director of the FSA.
