Two Thirds of Store-Bought Chickens Contaminated With Bacteria, Study Finds

Two out of three chickens bought in stores across the United States are contaminated with salmonella and/or campylobacter, two potentially dangerous forms of bacteria and leading causes of potentially fatal food poisoning.

A new report from Consumer Reports tested 382 whole chickens bought from more than 100 stores in 22 states and found that two thirds were carrying disease-causing bacteria salmonella, campylobacter, or a combination of both, according to published reports.

Popular brand-name chickens like Tyson and Foster Farms did not fare well in the testing, with more than 80 percent of chickens from those companies testing positive for one or both of the bacteria. Organic or “air-chilled” broilers were the best, with just 40 percent of those chickens testing positive, the study authors said.

While the two-thirds mark is hardly encouraging, it is an improvement from two years ago, when the same report found about 80 percent of chickens contained the forms of bacteria. Still, the study authors called on stricter testing for bacteria in food.

“The industry should not be complacent about widespread contamination of chicken with bacteria,” said the Consumer Reports safety blog. “And the USDA must tighten up its standard for salmonella and establish one for campylobacter to insure that the industry addresses the problem.”

Millions Sickened By Food Poisoning Annually

Each year, about 76 million Americans are sickened, 5,000 are hospitalized, and 400 die as a result of food poisoning. While otherwise healthy individuals typically recover after a few days of symptoms including abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea, the frail and elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to suffer severe and life-threatening complications from food poisoning.

Numerous recalls of meat, produce, and pre-packaged foods are announced each year due to contamination by salmonella and campylobacter. In many cases, sloppy conditions in food processing plants or on farms where food is grown or raised are to blame for spreading the dangerous bacteria.

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