- Washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. This should not be done due to risk of bacteria from raw meat and poultry spreading to other foods or surface, causing cross contamination. Failure to clean contaminated areas can lead to food born illness. Cooking food to the right temperature kills the bacteria so washing food is not necessary. There is a temperature danger zone of 40 °F - 140 °F in which bacteria growth is exponential. You can find more information and resources on the temperature danger zone here:
2. When using the simmering basket the maximum capacity when cooking meat is 500 g/17.5 oz and for rice a maximum capacity of 350 g/12 oz.