Consumer Reports Study: Majority of chicken contain harmful bacteria

2009-12-04 03:40:30 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Product liability)

Legal news for product liability attorneys. Two thirds of store bought chicken contain salmonella and campylobacter.

Product liability attorneys alerts- A Consumer Reports study revealed most poultry is contaminated with salmonella and campylobacter.

West Palm Beach, FL—According to the latest study, nearly two-thirds of raw store-bought chicken contain potentially dangerous pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter. Although the numbers of contamination have dropped from two years ago, it is an eye-opener for consumers, as reported bye ABC News.

The alarming study gathered information by testing 382 broiler chickens, which were bough from 100 stores across the nation. Salmonella and campylobacter were discovered in over 80 percent of the popular Tyson and Foster Farm brand samples. The study also revealed 56 percent of the samples from the well-known chicken brand, Perdue, was free of both potentially hazardous pathogens. At 60 percent of chickens being bacteria-free, the organic “air-chilled” chicken proved to be the safest.

Salmonella poisoning affects over one million people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/. Nearly 500 people are killed each year due to the consumption of the hazardous pathogens, while 25,000 others were so violently sick they had to seek medical treatment at hospitals. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually appear within 5-7 days after ingesting the bacteria, which include diarrhea, stomach cramping, and fever. Usually people become infected by unsafe washing and handing of the chicken practices in their kitchens. The National Chicken Council http://www.nationalchickencouncil.com/ stated, “Chicken is safe. Like all fresh foods, raw chickens may have some microorganisms present, but these are destroyed by the heat of normal cooking.”

Tyson Foods released a statement to ABCNews.com, questioning the methods used in the study, in which they stated: “We have confidence in the safety of our chicken but not in the testing by Consumer Reports. Since the Consumer Reports study only confirms the presence of bacteria and not the number, it is not a true indication of the safety of our products…the small sample size is also a concern.” Tyson also talked about the safety of their poultry and operations by using “antimicrobial rinses, similar to those used in mouthwashes, as well as organic acids.”

Consumer Reports, which is a monthly magazine that publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services, will be releasing the complete shocking study in their upcoming issue.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for product liability lawyers.