I always thought you had to wash chicken before cooking it, but my food safety class said the opposite.
For years, I rinsed raw chicken in the sink, thinking it got rid of germs. Then, about two months ago, I took a food handler course for a part-time job. The instructor, a health inspector, said washing chicken just sprays bacteria around your kitchen. She told us, 'The heat from cooking kills the bacteria, not the water.' Now I just pat it dry with a paper towel and cook it right away. Has anyone else had to unlearn this kitchen habit?