Food Standards Agency urges cooks to stop washing raw chicken

Figures released by  the FSA show that 44% of people always wash chicken before cooking it, a practice that can lead to the spread of campylobacter - a  form of bacteria which can cause food poisoning - onto hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment from the splashing of water droplets.

The most common form of food poisoning in the UK, campylobacter affects an estimated 280,000 people each year with around one in five cases coming from contaminated poultry.

FSA chief executive Catherine Brown said: ““Campylobacter is a serious issue. Not only can it cause severe illness and death, but it costs the economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year as a result of sickness absence and the burden on the NHS.”

A survey commissioned by the FSA shows that levels of awareness of campylobacter are not as high as that of other forms of food poisoning.

More than 90%of of the public have heard of salmonella and E.coli, whereas only 28% of people knew of campylobacter and only 31% of those surveyed know that poultry is the main source of the bacteria.

“Telling the public about the risks and how to avoid them is just one part of our plan to tackle campylobacter. We are leading a campaign that brings together the whole food chain, which includes working with farmers and producers to reduce rates of campylobacter in flocks of broiler chickens and ensuring that slaughterhouses and processors are taking steps to minimise the levels of contamination in birds,” Brown continued.

Campylobacter guidelines​

In order to avoid contracting campylobacter from chicken or poultry, the FSA has issued the following guidelines:

• Cover and chill raw chicken – ​cover raw chicken and store at the bottom of the fridge to stop any juices dripping onto other foods.
• Don’t wash raw chicken – ​Cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter. Washing the chicken can spread germs through splashing water droplets.
• Wash used utensils – ​Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces that come into contact with raw chicken.
• Cook chicken thoroughly – ​Make sure the chicken is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Cut into the thickest part of the meat to check that it is steaming hot with no pink meat and ensure the juices run clear.