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Fecal Contamination In Retail Chicken Products

Summary By: | Published: May 9, 2012
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A 2012 study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine seems to suggest that fecal matter in chicken products is the norm rather than the outlier.

This study, conducted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, concludes that fecal contamination is common in chicken products in U.S. grocery stores. Chicken products were sampled from 25 brands of chicken, from 15 major grocery store chains, in 10 U.S. cities. The samples were sent to an independent lab which found that 48% of the samples tested positive for E. Coli.

In total 48% of the samples were contaminated with E. coli. A sample of chicken breasts with and without skin were tested to determine if skin removal removed the risk of contamination. 49% of skinless breasts were contaminated while 28% of breasts with the skin intact were contaminated.

Only one of the 20 stores sampled did not have a contaminated sample. Following this 10 additional samples were taken to determine if it was sampling error, and 60% of the additional samples taken tested positive for fecal matter.

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Citations:

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), 2012 United States (National)

Tags:

Animals Used for Food Other Topics Additives or Diseases English Factory Farming Human Health Living Conditions Meat / Animal Product Consumption Chickens

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