Quick answer
Prevent Campylobacter contamination by controlling raw poultry and its juices, never washing raw chicken, separating it from ready-to-eat food and cooking it thoroughly. Chilling and freezing do not make poultry safe on their own. Check what staff actually do with packaging, hands, sinks and utensils as well as the cooking step.
Raw poultry creates routes before cooking begins
FSA information describes poultry handling and cross-contamination as important routes. Offal, unpasteurised dairy and contaminated water can also be relevant; the organism is not restricted to one chicken recipe.
The FSA’s 2026 evidence review identifies effective cooking and prevention of transfer as central controls. Refrigeration or freezing alone cannot replace them.
Do not wash raw chicken
Washing can splash contamination onto hands, clothes, sinks, work surfaces and equipment. Water does not make the preparation safer in the way a suitable cooking process does.
Remove raw poultry from packaging without creating unnecessary splashes, contain liquid and dispose of the pack through the safe method. Keep nearby ready-to-eat food protected. Make this part of induction and observation rather than assume every experienced cook follows the same habit.
Follow the raw-poultry preparation route
| Stage | Control |
|---|---|
| Storage or thawing | Contain liquid and keep it away from prepared food. |
| Unpacking | Use the designated area and safe disposal arrangement. |
| Preparation | Suitable dedicated equipment and separation. |
| Task change | Effective handwashing and appropriate clothing/tool changes. |
| Cooking | A suitable process that heats the food properly throughout. |
| After cooking | Clean equipment and protection from the earlier raw route. |
Thorough cooking must reach the relevant parts
Follow suitable product instructions and the business’s safe cooking method. Check the representative centre or thickest part as required, including larger portions or batches.
Business cooking guidance includes standard time/temperature combinations. Do not turn a research paper’s broad description into a new unvalidated recipe or assume a browned exterior establishes the centre’s treatment. Offal and poultry dishes need suitable thorough cooking too.
Worked example: a raw-preparation sink becomes a salad sink
Hypothetical example: an employee washes chicken in a sink and later uses the same surrounding area for salad preparation. The chicken’s eventual cooking does not address contamination already spread around the sink.
The manager stops the washing practice, assesses potentially affected food and follows the cleaning/disinfection and separation procedure. They observe the new unpacking routine and make sure there is a practical place for liquid and packaging.
Observe the method, including busy service
Check handwashing, utensils and touch points when staff change tasks. A worker may know the instruction but be unable to follow it if the designated area is occupied or supplies are missing.
If a control fails, protect food and follow the corrective procedure; do not assume another cold-storage period repairs the problem. Correct the layout, training or capacity issue and check that the change works.
Next steps
Trace poultry from receipt to service, remove washing from the method and verify separation and cooking. Use cross-contamination guidance and a workable cleaning schedule.
Read official Campylobacter guidance — Understand poultry routes and why washing spreads contamination.