Re: ....... poultry should not be washed or rinsed ?????

[Guest guest]

Sorry, I press send too soon for Message 17478.

The quote comes directly from the government's guidelines. There are

two points of view IMO:

1) You can contaminate the meat more by handling it and washing it

than by cooking it straight from the wrapper.

2) Your hands can get contaminated with any bacteria that is on the

meat. The bacteria in your hands can then make you sick.

I think that the 2nd possibility is the reason for the advice. If you

don't wash the meat, your hands don't get contaminated and the

bacteria will be killed by cooking. If you wash the meat, the bacteria

on the meat will stay in your hands for a long time and will make it

possible for you to contaminate other food. There is no easy way of

killing the bacteria in your hands that is gentle to the skin.

Tony

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/executivesummary.h\

tm

[Guest guest]

Several of us have expressed surprise at what seems like ridiculous

advice from a government organization. I realize that if you are

handling meat contaminated with bacteria (salmonella, etc) then the

chances of cross-contamination and possible infection increase

substantially when you wash or rinse the meat. However, on further

reflection, the advice STILL seems ridiculous.

Let us say that you want to cook a stew. You buy some meat (with

bacterial contamination) that needs to be cut into pieces suitable for

the stew. You get your cutting board and your knife. You cut your

meat and your vegetables, and start cooking your stew. Now you have

to clean up. Aren't the cutting board, the knife, and your hands

contaminated by the bacteria? Are these less contaminated than if

you washed or rinsed the meat before? I don't think so.

The reason why not washing or rinsing the meat appears to be

nonsensical advice is because it is nonsensical. It would have been

better to suggest using different cutting boards for meat and for

vegetables, washing hands and utensils thoroughly after handling meat,

handling fresh vegetables before handling meat, or many other

suggestions that would have made better sense.

Tony

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Message 17485

From: " Rodney " <perspect1111@y...>

Date: Mon Feb 7, 2005 5:04 pm

Subject: Re: ....... poultry should not be washed or rinsed " ?????

Hi folks:

Cleveland Clinic says the rationale is that the risk of spreading the

bugs is reduced the less they are handled. If rinsed, the bugs may

not be completely removed from hands, plates, sinks, utensils,

sponges, whatever .......... so might infect some non-cooked item

such as salad prepared in the same sink, for example. (The bugs on

the meat before cooking will of course be killed by proper cooking).

Rodney.