Food-borne illnesses from chicken and other sources kill about 500 Americans a year and sicken more than three million. Just how many more is uncertain, as lots of people never seek medical attention.
Consumer Reports tested almost 400 whole broiler chickens at an outside lab, checking for contamination. The chickens were purchased at more than 100 stores across the country. The chickens were tested for the two leading causes of food-borne illness, campylobacter and salmonella. Only 34 percent of the chickens had neither bacterium.
Included in the tests were leading chicken brands as well as store and organic brands.
The unappetizing results:
62 percent of the chicken contained campylobacter.
14 percent contained salmonella.
9 percent had both bacteria.
Of the name brands, more than 80 percent of the Tyson and Foster Farms chicken had one or both bacteria. Perdue was the cleanest, with 56 percent free of the bacteria.
Overall, air-chilled organic broilers were among the cleanest. But no matter what chicken you buy, you need to take these precautions:
Buy chicken that is well wrapped.
Pick from the bottom of the case, where it should be the coolest.
Put it in a produce bag so that you don't cross-contaminate other foods.
When home, use a cutting board that is just for raw poultry and meat.
After prepping chicken, use hot, soapy water and paper towels to wash and dry anything you and the raw chicken might have touched.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked thoroughly to at least 165° F.
If you are not going to prepare chicken within one to two days, freeze it.
Consumer Reports has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor appearing on this Web site.
Copyright © 2005-2009 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports' Web site. Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
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