USDA Finds Salmonella in a Third of Ground Chicken.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the nation’s meat supply. Their primary role is to protect consumers from this bacteria, salmonella, which can cause serious illness. To protect consumers, Consumer Reports (CR) tested 351 packages of ground meat and found dangerous bacteria in almost a third of the chicken samples. Salmonella was found in 31%, or 23 of the 75, samples of ground chicken that the group tested. Each year, more than 212,000 Americans are sickened with antibiotic-resistant salmonella in food, and 70 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Salmonella symptoms can include:
- Nausea, from mild to very extreme
- Diarrhea and vomiting, most severe with children and the elderly
- Low-grade fever and headache
- Muscle pain – typically in the stomach
- Fatigue and body chills
- Bloody stool
“The USDA allows far too much chicken contaminated with salmonella on the market and puts the burden on consumers to protect themselves,” said investigative journalist Lisa Gill, who broke the story reporting the findings. “There are steps we can all take to reduce the risk of getting sick, but that can be harder to do with ground meat.” To prevent food poisoning in your kitchen:
- Keep raw meats in a disposable bag away from other foods at the grocery store.
- Keep raw meat in a bag or bowl in the refrigerator.
- Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
- Wash your hands in hot soapy water before preparing food, every time you touch raw meat, and again when you are done.
- Use a dedicated cutting board for raw meat and a different one for fruits and vegetables
Consumer Reports also recommends using a meat thermometer:
- Ground beef and pork are safe to eat when cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Poultry should be cooked to 165 F.
- Beef roasts and steaks and pork roasts and chops should be cooked to 145 F.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of removing food from the stove.
