The Food Standard Agency (FSA) of the United Kingdom has urged people not to wash raw chicken as it may cause food poisoning.

On Monday, June 16, the FSA issued a statement, which says that washing raw chicken before cooking is a common practice and around 44 percent of the people practice the process. However, washing raw chicken before cooking may increase the risk of contracting campylobacter, which is a significant cause of food poisoning. The washing of raw chicken may spread campylobacter bacteria to the hands, working surface, cooking utensils and also clothes via splash of water drops.

Catherine Brown, chief executive of the FSA, says that campylobacter is a grave problem as it can cause serious illness and also death. The bacteria also affects the economy as the country's heath service, National Health Service (NHS), spends a lot of money every year to manage campylobacter.

"Telling the public about the risks and how to avoid them is just one part of our plan to tackle campylobacter. We are leading a campaign that brings together the whole food chain, which includes working with farmers and producers to reduce rates of campylobacter in flocks of broiler chickens and ensuring that slaughterhouses and processors are taking steps to minimize the levels of contamination in birds. We are committed to acting on campylobacter and providing safer food for the nation," said Brown.

The FSA points out that campylobacter affects around 280,000 people in the UK each year and is the most common form of food poisoning in the nation. The majority of the campylobacter cases arise from contaminated poultry. People who are affected to the bacteria can suffer from pain in the abdomen, diarrhea and vomiting. The bacteria can also cause reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a serious condition affecting the nervous system. Children under the age of five and older people are at higher risk of contracting campylobacter.

The FSA has also reached out to production companies to ensure that the food programs telecasted on the TV are showing raw chicken being washed.

The food agency also says that as a precautionary measure people should wash their hands after touching raw chicken and ensure that the meat is properly cooked.

The FSA highlights that the awareness of campylobacter is not high in the country. Over 90 percent of the people are aware of E.coli and salmonella but only 28 percent of the public know about campylobacter. Only 31 percent of the people who know about campylobacter know that poultry is the main cause of the disease.