Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 11/30/09
       

A Consumers Reports story slated to appear in the January 2010 issue of the magazine states that two-thirds of broilers bought in 22 states last spring harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, but the National Chicken Council disputes the validity of the findings.

Consumer Reports said in a press release that it asked an outside lab test 382 chickens purchase last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet and natural food stores and mass merchandisers in 22 states. Among the findings:

• Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens
• Salmonella was in 14 percent of the chickens
• Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens

Consumer Reports, which has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998, said the cleanest chickens were organic "air-chilled" broilers; nearly 60 percent were free of campylobacter and salmonella.

In a statement, NCC acknowledged that raw chicken may harbor some microorganisms but pointed out that these microorganisms are destroyed by heat in normal cooking. The group said consumers also are encouraged to follow safe handling and cooking instructions provided on "every package of fresh meat and poultry sold in this country."

NCC also pointed to "a much more comprehensive survey" by USDA that found a lower prevalence of campylobacter and salmonella on raw chicken than reported by Consumer Reports. Further, NCC notes, the USDA survey found that the levels of microorganisms detected are usually very low.

"Consumer Reports failed to perform this analysis," NCC said in a statement. "The USDA survey also showed that poultry processing greatly improves the microbiological profile of raw chickens. In fact, the industry does an excellent job in providing safe, wholesome food to American consumers."

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