Do We Have to Wash Meat?
Illustration of Red Meat | AI In daily practice, it's common for us to wash raw meat before cooking. The reason is simple—we want to make sure the meat is free from blood, slime, or other visible dirt before consuming it. I used to do this too, until I came across information suggesting that raw meat, such as beef and chicken, should not be washed. Why is that? After digging deeper, I found that food safety agencies like the USDA and FDA in the United States firmly advise against washing raw meat, especially chicken and beef, before cooking. So How Should We Approach This in the Indonesian Context? Sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in Indonesia is still highly varied. When it comes to food safety in the livestock supply chain, not all slaughtering facilities are clean. This raised my curiosity—so let me break down the practice of washing raw meat from the perspective of food safety science, microbiology, and local customs, along with science-backed guidelines tailored to In...
