5 foods that you should not wash before eating

We are going to give you an example with which you probably identify yourself: you are going to cook some grilled mushrooms, you take them out first of the tray, you put them in the drainer, you wash them with water and, after draining them, you put them in the pan. Well then With this procedure the only thing you get is that your dish loses aroma and flavor. But this is not the only example of food that you should not wash. According to the OCU, There are others that we should not immerse in water, and not only for gastronomic reasons, but for health.

"The most important premise for avoiding food poisoning is hygiene. Therefore, it may be shocking that we advise against washing some foods before cooking or consuming them, "the organization commented in its latest recommendations. In the case of mushrooms, the ideal would be to clean them with a damp cloth. But with what other foods are we committing? mistake to wash them?

These are the foods you should not wash

1. Eggs

There are those who choose to put the eggs under the tap before cooking them, since the shell is often stained with dirt or with a pen attached. But trying to remove this dirt with water can cause the opposite of what we are looking for to happen: we risk spoiling the egg. "The shell has a thin layer of cuticle that prevents germs from passing inside," experts explain. "If you wash the egg, you could eliminate it, causing the bacteria to penetrate."

2. Raw meat

Either chicken or red meat from pork or beef. In no case it is advised to wash it before cooking. According to a study published by the Food Standards Agency, washing raw chicken increases the risk of poisoning. Although in general, the recommendation not to do so is because the meat loses aroma, flavor, and above all, nutrients.

3. Bag salads

And not only the lettuce, but all the vegetables that come packaged (spinach, chard, kale …) to be consumed both raw and cooked. "They usually wash with a low dose disinfectant to avoid pathogens, so they are quite safe," they clarify from the OCU. "So it makes no sense to wash them again." In fact, if you do, you may contaminate them with some bacteria that swarm through the sink.

4. Fish

The same thing happens with meat: some fish may contain pathogenic bacteria (those that cause infectious diseases) that, when in contact with water, could expand. That is why experts recommend avoiding washing the fish and cooking it very well in order to prevent any type of poisoning.

5. Canister legumes

And this is something we all have ever done: open the packaging of canned chickpeas or beans, pour its contents, drain it and squirt it with water. But, as with bag vegetables, experts agree again that there is no point in doing so. The liquid in which the legumes come is edible (it is nothing more than water, salt and citric acid), so they can be consumed directly from the boat. It is not that it is a health hazard to wash them, but we can risk reducing quality of their nutrients.