(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

OPINION

We are creatures of habit to be sure. We often do things whether science is for it or against it, simply because that’s what we’ve always done.

I witnessed a good example recently when I saw a friend prepping a chicken for dinner, and her routine included a thorough rinsing of the bird in the kitchen sink. It made me think of other friends who like to cook, and how they use rinsing or lemon juice or brining to “clean” a bird before cooking.

Of course, brining is required of Kosher cooking, not to mention a good way of tenderizing some meats. But a lot of what we do…using water or lemon juice to “clean” pathogens from meat and poultry, for example, are simply based on tradition or what we’ve grown accustomed to doing.

In fact, putting meat under running water in your kitchen sink is a no-no, according to food science experts. I’m pretty handy in the kitchen and avoid washing meat because it can inadvertently spread more pathogens than it removes. I’ve learned this from countless chefs and a few doctors who have crossed my path.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and Health Canada here say you’re more likely to spread rather than kill bacteria by rinsing meat. Proper cooking, they advise, kills bacteria and other pathogens that washing - even with soapy water and rinsing - can never eliminate.

I assume these folks always fully cook their poultry rather than shooting for medium-rare. Again, they might wash their meats…but it’s the cooking temperature and time that kills what might otherwise ail them.

Bacteria don’t move…until we move it by spraying water on meat or handling it and not washing our hands carefully with soap for at least 20 seconds. Even then, you need to be careful with hand washing not to run too much water to rinse…or you’re still likely to spread bacteria.

Regardless, surveys find about seven out of ten Americans and Canadians wash meat before cooking…a number that hasn’t changed for decades.

It’s hard to argue against custom and culture…even when the facts prove otherwise. I’ve heard people defend washing meat by claiming, “I’ve cooked this way my entire life…and never been sick.”

It’s easy enough to see how rinsing chickens got started. Two of my favourite culinary resources - The Joy of Cooking and countless Julia Child television episodes - made rinsing birds a thing. Another influencer and more-or-less self-appointed expert on everything that happens inside our homes - Martha Stewart - still advises rinsing poultry in many of her recipes.

The Journal of Food Protection (yes, there is such a publication) conducted a 300-subject observational study in 2022 and found it’s much more likely to spread E. coli bacteria in kitchen sinks and counters by rinsing chicken…and nearly one-third cross-contaminated the salad that subjects were asked to prepare alongside the chicken.

What about fruits and vegetables…surely we should wash them before eating or preparing them? Not really.

There are only trace amounts of pesticides on most produce…and rinsing them isn’t likely to remove pesticides anyway. There are produce washes and soaps on the market, but neither Health Canada nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend them, with the FDA actually advising against them because they are - remarkably - not approved for food use.

Simply wipe or rinse any loose dirt off fruits and vegetables, but never before storing them in the refrigerator…where they might become perfect hosts for listeria and other microbes that make fruits and veggies spoil faster…and could otherwise make you ill.

If you continue to wash your foods…especially meats…you should clean your sink and kitchen counters like they were in a hospital surgical room. And for goodness sakes, get rid of that kitchen sponge…you’d have to use a paint roller to spread more germs.

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.

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