Raw chicken food safety: MPI reminds people not to wash meat before cooking, citing health risks

Detailed summary

According to New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle, it is a “myth” that washing raw chicken makes it safer to eat. Instead, it increases the risk…

New Zealand Food Safety is urging people not to wash raw chicken, to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.

We’ve always been told not to count our chickens, but now New Zealand Food Safety is asking Kiwis not to wash them before cooking.

According to New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle, it is a “myth” that washing raw chicken makes it safer to eat.

Instead, it increases the risk of sickness from the spread of bacteria.

“When you rinse raw chicken under the tap, bacteria such as campylobacter can be spread in water droplets on to sinks, benches, utensils and other foods around the kitchen,” Arbuckle says.

Campylobacter causes campylobacteriosis, with symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Young, elderly, pregnant and immunocompromised people are also at higher risk of being hospitalised.

The organisation said the most common food source of campylobacteriosis is raw or undercooked chicken.

NZFS has worked to reduce the incidence of foodborne campylobacteriosis, caused by campylobacter bacteria, by more than 70% between 2006 and 2024.

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