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The Study by the United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture partnered with North Carolina State University in a research to demonstrate the dangers of washing raw chicken. The study took place by asking 300 people to prepare chicken and a salad in a controlled kitchen. Everyone, without exception, said that they usually wash or rinse the chicken before cooking it. In this case they were divided into two groups: the first had the green light to wash the poultry, the second was warned of the risks, but in any case 61% of the participants chose to wash the raw meat anyway.
The result was that 26 participants who washed the chicken transferred the bacteria to the salad, and 31% caused contamination by not washing the chicken but by forgetting to rinse their hands and utensils after handling it.
How to Handle Raw Chicken
If you feel the need to clean raw chicken before cooking it, the best solution is to use absorbent paper: you can pat the meat dry and thus remove excess liquids. If you can, use disposable gloves to avoid contamination on the skin, or in any case remember to wash your hands very well before handling other foods that could be contaminated by bacteria from raw chicken.
