If you want to eat chicken in the U.S., Salmonella is a risk you have to live with

Ten things to know before you eat your next chicken dinner

image of US-chickens
In the U.S., even chicken that has passed all federal food safety requirements still can make people sick. This proved true in 2013 after a massive salmonella outbreak linked to Foster Farms sickened hundreds of people in 29 states. Salmonella sickens about 1 million Americans a year, and chicken is a common source.
Gunthorp Farms chickens image credit Darren Hauck for Reveal.
  • It’s legal to sell raw chicken that has bacteria on it that could kill you
  • Salmonella is the rare foodborne pathogen that is both common and potentially deadly
  • Even when processing plants meet federal standards, they can be the source of massive outbreaks
  • There’s no requirement to test chickens for salmonella where it spreads – on the farm
  • Processing plants aren’t shut down when they’re cranking out contaminated birds
  • Efforts to reform the system have been opposed by the industry and failed
  • Avoiding industrial chicken by buying local isn’t necessarily safer
  • Raising backyard chickens won’t guarantee to protect you
  • Antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella are on the rise
  • Other countries don’t stand for salmonella the way U.S. do

Read 10 things to know before you eat your next chicken dinner, revealnews, December 2, 2015.

2 thoughts on “If you want to eat chicken in the U.S., Salmonella is a risk you have to live with”

  1. In te UK far more people will only eat free range chicken and eggs. Factory rearing will always carry the risk of contamination as well as chickens living in stressted conditions. You will only reap what you care for by raising awareness to improve on conditions to animals to be reared in, if only for their humanity and compassion for their care..

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