Controversial recommendations have been made about washing chicken before cooking.

Should I rinse chicken before cooking? Despite what your elders may have told you, you don’t need to rinse raw chicken or any other poultry or meat before cooking, says CNN. In fact, the USDA and other food safety experts don’t recommend it. That’s why.

Rinsing chicken can transfer bacteria such as salmonella through the water to kitchen surfaces, which can lead to cross-contamination of other ingredients, CNN notes. Bacteria was found in the sinks of 60% of cooks who rinsed raw chicken in a 2019 USDA study.

“You don’t realize how much stuff you’re splattering all over the place,” said Sean Matijevic, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. “It only takes a little to get everything dirty.”

Since “bacteria don’t spread through the air,” but only through surface contact, Matijevic says it’s best to minimize the amount of time you handle raw poultry or have it touch dishes, cutlery, or countertops.

“Internet wisdom” about rinsing chicken with vinegar, lemon juice or salt water to kill germs has also been debunked by scientific research. These methods provide a quick brine treatment for the chicken, but do not have any effect on the bacteria.

Cooking poultry to the recommended internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit is a surefire way to ensure you’re meeting food safety standards.

“Use more paper towels than you think you need,” Matijevic advises, suggesting pat the chicken dry or let the paper towels absorb excess liquid. Even if you’re the type of person who tries to minimize the use of disposable products in the kitchen, paper towels will minimize the chance of spreading bacteria with additional contact with the surface, CNN notes.

Throw away paper towels immediately after use, experts advise. “Wiping the chicken dry with paper towels reduces the amount of splatter, but remember that those paper towels may now be contaminated with pathogens and should be thrown in the trash immediately,” said Donald Schaffner, professor emeritus and chair of the department of food science at Rutgers University in New Jersey. .

Drying the chicken—with or without the skin—before cooking also helps the pieces crisp up in the pan or in the oven. “Especially if you’re baking chicken, you want crispy skin,” Matijevic says, and moisture is the enemy of crispiness. The paper towel method also works for chicken that has been marinated or brined in brine before cooking.

Here are some additional cooking tips to help minimize cross-contamination in your kitchen.

Use a special cutting board for poultry and meat and a different cutting board for ingredients such as vegetables and cheese. “If a cutting board is used to cook poultry and then fresh vegetables that are not cooked, the chicken can transfer bacteria to the cutting board, which will then cross-contaminate any fresh vegetables,” Schaffner said. “Using separate cutting boards eliminates this risk.”

Wait to process raw poultry and meat as the final step in the cooking process. First, wash, chop and prepare all the ingredients. “Even if you use separate cutting boards and cook the chicken first, depending on how it is handled, it can still spread bacteria around the kitchen or on your hands, which could end up on fresh vegetables or other foods that won’t be cooked,” Schaffner notes.

Wash your hands with hot water and soap immediately after handling raw poultry. “I do this in an empty sink to avoid splashing other kitchen utensils, which may then need to be washed,” says the expert.

Wash all items that have come into contact with raw poultry or its juices in the dishwasher or with hot water and soap. “Using the sanitizing cycle in your dishwasher is probably the most reliable way to reduce the risk of contamination from any bacteria,” emphasizes Schaffner.

Do not reuse sponges or kitchen towels that have been used to wash dishes or utensils that have come into contact with the juices of raw poultry. “Kitchen sponges can be a source of cross-contamination. If they are used to clean up raw bird juice, they should also be placed in the dishwasher to sanitize, warns Schaffner. – Remember to keep sponges clean and dry when not in use. If food debris accumulates in or on the sponges and the sponges remain wet, they can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria.”

Hot, soapy water will clean your dishes and surfaces, but will not disinfect them. To make sure your kitchen remains bacteria-free, disinfect your sink, faucet, and countertops after handling poultry or meat.

CNN advises making your own disinfectant solution by mixing ½ teaspoon liquid bleach with 2⅔ cups water in a spray bottle and wiping with paper towels or a clean towel that can be washed in hot water. When using store-bought disinfectant spray or wipes, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.