Kitchen Food Safety: Don’t Wash That Chicken! Common Habits That Can Spread Bacteria

You bring home groceries, wash your hands, clean the counters, and start preparing dinner. It all seems pretty straightforward—but some common kitchen habits that feel clean can actually increase the risk of spreading harmful bacteria.

One of the biggest examples? Washing raw chicken before cooking it.

During Food Safety Education Month, it’s a great time to take another look at the everyday habits we use when preparing meals. Practicing good kitchen food safety doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes, simply changing a few routines can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination and foodborne illness.

Here are some common kitchen habits worth reconsidering.

1. Washing Raw Chicken Before Cooking

If you grew up watching someone rinse chicken in the sink before cooking it, you may assume that's an important part of cleaning it.

But raw chicken doesn't need to be washed before cooking.

Rinsing poultry can cause contaminated water droplets to splash onto your sink, faucet, countertops, nearby utensils, or other food. Bacteria from the raw chicken can then spread around the kitchen without you realizing it.

Proper cooking - not rinsing - is what helps make chicken safe to eat.

Instead, transfer raw poultry carefully from its packaging to your cooking surface or pan, wash your hands afterward, clean and sanitize surfaces that came into contact with the raw poultry, and cook it to a safe internal temperature.

2. Using the Same Cutting Board for Everything

You're preparing chicken and vegetables for dinner. Why dirty two cutting boards when you can use one?

Because that shortcut can lead to cross-contamination.

Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices can contain harmful bacteria. If you cut raw chicken and then chop lettuce, tomatoes, fruit, or another ready-to-eat food on the same unwashed surface, bacteria can transfer to food that may never be cooked.

A simple kitchen food safety habit is to use separate cutting boards for raw proteins and foods that are ready to eat.

If you're using the same board, thoroughly wash it with hot, soapy water between uses.

3. Putting Cooked Food Back on the Raw-Meat Plate

This one is especially easy to do when grilling.

You carry raw burgers, chicken, or steaks outside on a plate, put the food on the grill and then reach for that same plate when the food is ready.

The problem? Juices from the raw meat may still be on it.

Always use a clean plate and clean utensils for cooked food. The same rule applies when cooking indoors.

Once something has touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, treat it as contaminated until it has been properly washed.

4. Guessing Whether Meat Is Fully Cooked

Color and texture aren't always reliable ways to determine whether meat has reached a safe internal temperature.

That's where a food thermometer comes in.

Using a thermometer can help you confirm that meat, poultry, seafood, egg dishes, leftovers, and other foods have reached the appropriate internal temperature.

For example, the USDA recommends cooking poultry, including chicken and turkey, to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

Rather than cutting into your chicken and deciding whether it "looks done," make checking the temperature part of your regular cooking routine.

5. Leaving Perishable Food Out Too Long

Dinner is over, everyone starts talking, and the leftovers remain on the counter.

Sound familiar?

Perishable foods shouldn't sit at room temperature indefinitely. Bacteria can multiply quickly when food is kept within what's commonly called the temperature danger zone.

As a general rule, perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours. When temperatures are above 90°F, that window drops to one hour.

This is an especially important kitchen food safety habit to remember during parties, barbecues, potlucks, and other gatherings where food may stay out longer than it would during an everyday meal.

6. Thawing Meat on the Counter

Taking frozen meat out in the morning and leaving it on the kitchen counter until dinner may be convenient, but it isn't considered a safe thawing method.

Even if the center is still frozen, the outer portion of the food can warm into temperatures where bacteria can multiply.

Safer thawing methods include:

• Thawing food in the refrigerator

• Using cold water and changing the water regularly

• Using the microwave when you plan to cook the food immediately afterward

Planning ahead and moving frozen food into the refrigerator is generally the easiest hands-off option.

7. Using the Same Utensil From Raw to Cooked

The spoon you used to break apart raw ground beef shouldn't necessarily be the same spoon you use to serve dinner.

Utensils can transfer bacteria just like cutting boards and plates.

When cooking raw meat, consider switching to a clean utensil once the food has cooked - or properly wash the utensil before using it again with the finished meal.

It's a small step that can easily become part of your regular cooking routine.

8. Forgetting About the Things You Touch

Sometimes the food itself isn't the only concern.

Think about everything you may touch while preparing raw chicken:

The refrigerator handle.

The spice container.

The faucet.

The oven handle.

Your phone.

If you've handled raw meat and then touch another object without washing your hands, bacteria can potentially travel with you.

Good kitchen food safety includes washing your hands with soap and water before and after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs - and being mindful of what you touch in between.

It can also be helpful to clean frequently touched kitchen surfaces regularly, especially after preparing raw foods.

9. Relying on Smell Alone to Decide Whether Food Is Safe

The sniff test has its limits.

While an unpleasant smell, unusual appearance, or strange texture can certainly be a reason to throw something away, food that looks and smells normal isn't automatically safe to eat.

Some bacteria that can cause foodborne illness don't necessarily change the way food looks, smells, or tastes.

Pay attention to how food has been stored, how long it has been refrigerated, and whether it has been handled safely - not just whether it passes the smell test.

And when you're genuinely unsure about the safety of a food, throwing it away is safer than taking an unnecessary chance.

Kitchen Food Safety Starts With Everyday Habits

Food safety doesn't require turning your kitchen into a laboratory.

It's mostly about developing a few good habits:

Clean. Separate. Cook. Chill.

Wash your hands and surfaces. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.

Cook foods to safe internal temperatures. Refrigerate perishable foods promptly.

And yes - leave that raw chicken out of the sink.

Food Safety Education Month is a great reminder that even experienced home cooks can pick up habits that aren't as safe as they seem. Taking a fresh look at how you prepare, cook, and store food can help protect you and the people you're cooking for.

A few small changes in your routine can make kitchen food safety an easy part of every meal.