Should You Wash Raw Chicken Before Cooking? Dr. Oz Weighs In

From Oprah Magazine

• In the newest internet debate, people are questioning whether or not you should wash raw chicken before cooking it.

• The confusion came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweeted in April that you should not do so.

• While on the radio show The Breakfast Club, Dr. Oz said you should definitely avoid cleansing raw poultry to prevent the spread of salmonella.

Remember when everyone and their mother made a big deal about whether or not you should wash your legs in the shower? While that debate seems to finally be dissipating, there's another that's slowly taking its place as the hotly discussed topic of the moment: Should you wash your raw chicken before you cook it?

We'll cut right to the chase. Dr. Oz-Oprah's trusted health expert-says definitely not. Keep uncooked poultry away from your kitchen sink. After host Charlamagne tha God broached the topic on The Breakfast Club, The cardiac surgeon and host of the Dr. Oz Show explained his professional opinion during his guest appearance.

"When you wash your chicken you spray the salmonella all over the kitchen," Oz said. "Everywhere, it just splatters everywhere. Then you put the chicken into the oven and the heat from the oven would have killed that salmonella anyway."

Charlamagne then countered by enquiring whether or not isolating the meat in the sink with hot water prevents the spread of bacteria. Oz had a quick comeback.

"It doesn't always go in the sink," he said. "People wash their salad in the sink. You splatter the water on the chicken, it goes outside the sink sometimes. It's been looked at. No matter what you do there's no incremental benefit of washing chicken."

We did a little digging ourselves and it seems that the good doctor is right. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should definitely never wash raw poultry because juices from the meat can easily spread, contaminating your countertops, kitchen utensils, and even other foods. In fact, the government agency was so eager about spreading the word, that they tweeted about it in April.

But despite these passionate words of caution from experts, some people still think it's best to wash their chicken. That sentiment is made clear in the comments section for Baller Alert's Instagram account, a handle that posted the clip of Dr. Oz on The Breakfast Club.

"Yeah. Y’all don’t wash your legs, so we are no longer taking y’all advice towards anything involving cleanliness. We got this!!!" said one user.

And another: "I use vinegar and lime to wash my meat 🤷🏻♀️."

One last unapologetic thought? "I’m washing the damn chicken. 😂💯"

With that, all we have to say is to let the above factual evidence factor into your own personal preference. Oh, and here's one last message from Oz.

"Save some lives here," he said. "Make that our anthem for the summer. No more washing chicken. Put it in the oven, let the oven do the work for you."

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!