It’s not Chicken to Ask Questions : Serious health concerns about a popular food

One chicken producer used to advertise that it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken. It may take an even tougher poultry industry, prodded by the federal government, to make a safe chicken.

The industry has come under fire in the last year in the face of reports that the levels of two bacteria in raw chicken, salmonella and camphylobacter, are much higher than previously believed. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are rightly turning up the heat by insisting that responsibility for healthy birds rests with the industry, not with harried government inspectors.

There currently are no federal or state standards that govern bacteria levels in raw chicken. A USDA report released last year found that 65%, or two of three chicken carcasses tested, contained salmonella bacteria. Camphylobacter is present at comparable levels.

Contamination can be transmitted to live chickens through feed; transmission can also occur when clean carcasses touch contaminated ones. USDA inspectors have a difficult task because the contamination is odorless, tasteless and invisible.

Both bacteria can be destroyed if the meat is properly refrigerated and then thoroughly cooked. If ingested, they can cause flu-like symptoms. Infections can be severe, even fatal, in infants, the elderly, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems.

The contamination problem has drawn more attention in recent years as the per capita consumption of chicken has risen--to about 72 pounds a year now. The federal government estimates that one in 25,000 servings causes illness.

As many as 4 million cases of salmonella poisoning and about 2 million instances of camphylobacter poisoning occur in the United States each year. The two bacteria, however contracted, cause about 2,000 deaths a year; how many are caused by chicken is unknown.

Last month a top USDA official warned the industry, “Don’t expect USDA to take the heat for you.” He urged producers to “quickly and aggressively” adopt stricter contamination controls. Additionally, Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) has introduced a bill that mandates a new study of the threat and could eventually lead to federal standards.

The industry, which plans a bacteria control experiment, maintains that “chicken is a safe and wholesome food.” But we share the concern about the condition of this popular American diet staple and look for something more than chicken feed from the industry.