People assume that food sold in grocery stores is safe but this isn't always the case. This assumption could even make you very sick if you're buying raw chicken breasts.
The Consumer Reports on Thursday published its findings on an analysis of 316 raw chicken breasts bought at stores across the U.S. The report said that harmful bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli lurk in almost all of the raw chicken breasts tested, including organic brands.
Incidentally, the salmonella outbreak linked to three Foster Farms chicken plants came shortly after the organization bought chicken from stores across the country to analyze. One of the packages even turned out to be associated with the outbreak.
"We were conducting our research when news of the national salmonella outbreak linked to three Foster Farms chicken plants became public. In that case 389 people were infected, and 40 percent of them were hospitalized, double the usual percentage in most outbreaks linked to salmonella," Consumer Reports said.
Experts said antibiotic resistance may be partially responsible for the severity of the outbreak. The Consumer Reports emphasizes the threats of the apparently high rate of antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in chicken at the local grocery store.
"Antibiotic-resistant infections are linked to at least 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. And if antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue their scary spread, they could lead to deadly infections after routine surgery or even a seemingly innocuous cut because the drugs that doctors prescribe will have lost their effectiveness," the organization said.
Bacteria that can resist multiple drugs were found in about half of the raw chicken breasts tested by the organization. Consuming tainted chicken meat can even be deadly. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that "more deaths were attributed to poultry than to any other commodity."
To avoid contamination, consumers are advised to wash hands immediately after touching raw chicken. It is also recommended cooking chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, the National Chicken Council said in a statement Friday that poultry is safe to eat and that the chicken producers in the U.S. have dramatically reduced the presence of bacteria in poultry meat.
"U.S. chicken producers rely upon the best science, microbiology and technology to reduce food-borne pathogens, and spend tens of millions of dollars every year in the name of food-safety research which can be credited with the significant decrease in foodborne pathogens present in chicken over the last several years," the statement read.
