Holiday Food Safety: Why You Should NOT Wash Your Turkey

Here in Texas we have a certain way of doing things, and we like to follow tradition. However, washing your turkey is one thing Texans can skip doing.

According to the CDC, you should never wash or rinse raw turkey. If you've been doing it for years, don't feel embarrassed because there's a lot of people who've been blissfully unaware of the risks that come with washing raw poultry.

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You're Not Alone

In fact, a 2020 survey discovered that 78% of participants reported washing or rinsing turkey before cooking. Habits can be extremely hard to break, but this year don't worry about what your elders may think about you breaking tradition. It's better to be safe than sorry right?

But Why?

You may believe that you're washing away bacteria and germs, but in reality you're most likely spreading salmonella and poultry juices around your kitchen. One little splash and thousands of bacteria have now spread.

Best Practices

Here are the safest ways to handle your turkey according to the CDC:

• Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling turkey.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw turkey.
• Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that previously held raw turkey.
• Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing turkey and before you prepare the next item.

Spread the word and not germs!