How many times have you heard the phrase “Don’t trust everything you see on the internet”? Thousands, I’m sure. But now that we live in a time when almost all of our daily information comes from the internet (and social media especially), it can be harder to separate fact from fiction. 

While there are plenty of chefs creating great, informative cooking content on platforms like TikTok, social media can also be a breeding ground for false information, especially when it comes to food safety. In a recent Reddit thread, users shared the cooking myths they know to immediately distrust when they see them shared on social media, and a common answer was one we know all too well: washing meat. 

“Washing meat is still a surprisingly prevalent bad practice,” wrote user DyotMeetMat.

In reality, no, you should probably not be washing your meat before cooking it. This is commonly known among many home cooks, but if you’ve been fooled by the internet lore, read on to find out why this practice is ill-advised.

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