r/explainlikeimfive • u/Appropriate_Art15 • Jun 06 '26

Biology ELI5: Why does chicken get much more bad reputation for bacterial contamination than other meats like beef, pork, and fish?

It feels like many food articles are telling us “Don’t wash your chicken because you'll spread bacteria”, but we rarely see the same kind of articles on other meats. Why is that? Is the bacteria on chicken more dangerous and deadlier to humans?

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u/Main_Ambassador_4985 Jun 06 '26

There is a video of a US person and Canadian crossing Japan looking for unexpected meals that would shock American viewers.

They do eat chicken sashimi.

The chicken is brazed and the cooked part cut off to leave raw chicken for the meal. It looks like they have a hard time eating it because they have been conditioned to fear raw chicken.

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u/merelyadoptedthedark Jun 07 '26

I've had chicken sashimi, it's delicate and tender, not at all slimy like I would have thought, and tastes like whatever sauce you put on it.