What Should You Keep Away From Raw Chicken?

The most important things to keep away from raw chicken are foods that will be eaten without cooking. Salad ingredients, chopped fruit, ready-made sauces, and previously cooked food should not be on the counter at the same time as raw chicken. Bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter on the surface of raw chicken can easily spread to these foods through drippings or a shared knife or cutting board. Because the foods will be eaten without cooking, the contamination will not be eliminated by cooking.

How should you arrange the counter? As soon as you open the chicken package, make a “clean zone” around it. Keep bread, cheese, greens, and other ingredients that will be eaten directly at least an arm’s length away from the cutting board used for chicken. If possible, prepare them in a separate part of the counter. Never use the cutting board and knife reserved for chicken for vegetables or bread. Even if your kitchen does not have a color-coded board system, keep at least one board for meat and a separate one for vegetables.

How can you prevent drips? Even in the refrigerator, raw chicken can drip liquid onto the shelf or containers below it. Always store the chicken package on the bottom shelf in a closed container with a tray underneath. Do not place ready-to-eat products such as salad, fruit, or eggs above or below it. On the trip home from the store, put the chicken package in a separate bag, especially away from fruit and vegetables. Washing chicken under running water is a common habit, but splashes can spread bacteria to the sink edge and counter. For this reason, most food-safety sources recommend cooking raw chicken without washing it first. If you do wash it anyway, immediately wash the sink and every surface within the splash area with hot, soapy water, then wipe them with a disinfectant suitable for kitchen surfaces.

Sponges and cloths used in the kitchen can also be a hidden source of cross-contamination. If a sponge that has touched raw chicken is then used to wash dishes, it can spread bacteria throughout the kitchen. Keep cloths used while preparing chicken separate, or use disposable paper towels. While cooking, use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 74°C / 165°F; this is much more reliable than judging doneness by sight. Check counters and the sink not only immediately after preparing chicken but also before moving on to another kitchen task. A surface wiped with hot, soapy water may look clean while still containing bacterial residue. Cutting boards that are dishwasher-safe are preferred after contact with raw chicken because a dishwasher cleans them at a higher temperature than hand washing. Wooden boards may harbor bacteria in cracks, so replace them regularly. Wash hands that have touched raw chicken with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before handling the next ingredient. Even if you wear gloves, change them before touching another ingredient.

In short, the concern is not one specific ingredient but anything that will be eaten without cooking. Keep raw chicken in its own area and keep everything else away from it.