Should you wash raw meat?

Short Answer

No — washing raw meat is not recommended.
It doesn’t make meat cleaner or safer, and it can actually increase the risk of food-borne illness in your kitchen.

Why Washing Raw Meat Is Not Recommended

Bacteria spreads through water droplets
Rinsing raw meat under the tap causes tiny droplets to splash around your sink, bench, utensils, and nearby foods. These droplets can carry harmful bacteria and spread them far beyond the sink area.

Washing does not remove harmful bacteria
Pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli cling tightly to the surface of meat. Water alone cannot remove them — only proper cooking temperatures destroy them.

Cross-contamination risk increases
Studies show that splashing can spread bacteria up to a metre from the sink. These contaminated areas are often missed during routine cleaning, increasing the risk of illness.

Food-safety authorities advise against it
Food-safety organisations worldwide consistently recommend not washing raw meat or poultry due to the increased risk of contamination.

Raw meat preparation near kitchen sink increases cross-contamination risk

What To Do Instead

Handle raw meat carefully
Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods such as salads, fruits, and cooked dishes.

Use dedicated chopping boards
Ideally, have a board reserved for raw meat to prevent bacteria transferring to other foods.

Cook meat thoroughly
Heat is the only reliable way to kill harmful bacteria. Cooking meat to the correct internal temperature is far more effective than washing.

Clean surfaces immediately
Wash hands, knives, benches, and chopping boards with hot soapy water after handling raw meat.

Why Some People Still Wash Meat

Cultural habits
In some cultures, washing meat has long been associated with removing blood, odours, or perceived impurities.

Misunderstanding of cleanliness
Rinsing feels like cleaning, but bacteria are microscopic and cannot be seen or rinsed away.

Older cooking practices
Before modern refrigeration, washing meat was sometimes used to remove spoilage slime. With today’s food-safety standards, this is no longer relevant.