Food safety authorities recommend not washing raw poultry before cooking. Washing chicken can cause dangerous bacteria to splash around the kitchen. However, many people continue to do so.
Thus, a Dutch study showed that 25% of consumers often or almost always wash chicken. One analysis showed why many people still do it.
Some believe that it is necessary to wash off feces and other substances from chicken meat. However, in fact, modern processing technologies allow chicken carcasses not to need additional cleaning.
Others believe that washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) kills the bacteria. In contrast, studies have shown that washing a raw bird in lemon juice or vinegar does not remove bacteria and may increase the risk of cross-contamination.
The surest way to decontaminate chicken is to cook it correctly, long enough and at the right temperature.