Are you a raw chicken washer? If so, time to make a change!

Do you wash raw poultry before cooking it? If so, you may be causing more harm than good.  The Consumerist published a great food safety article today regarding the dangers of washing raw poultry in your kitchen sink.

Apparently, washing your raw chicken just sprays bacteria-laden water mist over a 3-foot area around your sink. It does not kill or rinse away all the bacteria on the meat.  Only cooking the meat to a safe internal temperature will take care of that nasty bacteria.  You can see a chart with safe internal temperatures based on type of meat at www.foodsafety.wisc.edu.

For more detailed information on how to handle raw poultry, including the safe internal temperatures chart mentioned above, head to www.foodsafety.wisc.edu.