Most Raw Chicken Sold In U.S. Contaminated?

Potentially harmful bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli have been found in almost all of the raw chicken that is sold in the U.S., according to an analysis by Consumer Reports published on Thursday.

Consumer Reports tested 316 raw chicken breasts in 26 states and "found potentially harmful bacteria lurking in almost all of the chicken, including organic brands," the Agence France-Presse reported.

Analysis of the four largest brands (Perdue, Pilgrim's, Sanderson Farms, Tyson) showed their chicken "contained worrisome amounts of bacteria". Fecal contaminants that can cause blood and urinary-tract infections contaminated more than half the chicken breasts, AFP reported.

Wal-Mart Stores, Whole Foods, Kroger and Trader Joe's were some of the major brands to be analyzed in the research. An outbreak of salmonella this fall was linked to chicken sold by three Foster Farm plants, said government investigators. Some 389 people were infected, according to Consumer Reports.

"What's going on with the nation's most popular meat?" asked the well-known consumer publication, noting that Americans buy an estimated 83 pounds of chicken a person each year.

Food tainted with salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, and other contaminants cause more than 48 million people to fall sick each year, according to Consumer Reports. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that "more deaths were attributed to poultry than to any other commodity."

The Consumer Reports analysis looked at a sample size of only .0004 percent of chicken sold on any given day, the National Chicken Council said in a statement.

"Americans eat about 160 million servings of chicken every single day, and 99.99 percent of those servings are consumed safely," the council said. "Unfortunately, this particular statistic was left out of the 'in depth' piece recently published by Consumer Reports."

While it is impossible to eliminate bacteria completely, smart handling can ensure food safety, the council said.

"All bacteria, antibiotic resistant or not, is killed by proper cooking," the council said.

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