You should not wash ground beef before cooking. Washing ground meat can increase the risk of contaminating it with bacteria from the wash water. Since ground meat has a larger surface area exposed to air, washing it can spread bacteria, and simply washing won’t kill it.
Reasons not to wash ground beef:
- Bacteria can spread: When you wash meat, the water can carry bacteria (such as Salmonella or E. coli) from the surface of the meat and spread it in your kitchen.
- Loss of meat quality: Washing meat can cause it to lose nutrients like vitamins and minerals, which can dissolve in water.
- Cooking will kill bacteria: Cooking ground beef to a high temperature will kill bacteria, so washing is not necessary before cooking.
Instead, cook the ground beef as soon as you purchase it, ensuring it is cooked thoroughly to guarantee food safety.
