Foster Farms chicken may have infected and sickened more than 10,000 people, due to contamination of the meat with fecal material.
Foster Farms Responds to Chicken Salmonella Outbreaks
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Salmonella causes more hospitalizations than any other foodborne illness, more deaths than any other foodborne illness, and it’s on the rise. Salmonella causes a million cases of food poisoning every year in the U.S., and over the last decade or so, the number of cases have “increased by 44%”—particularly among children and the elderly. And, chicken is the #1 cause.
From spring 2012 to spring 2013, the Centers for Disease Control reported over 100 individuals infected across 13 states with a particularly virulent strain of salmonella. One in three were hospitalized. Investigations pointed to Foster Farms-brand chicken as the most likely cause of the outbreak—the sixth largest chicken producer in the U.S. The CDC warned people, but nothing was done. Foster Farms apparently continued to pump out contaminated meat. In October, the CDC-reported outbreak expanded to 21 states.
Though there’s only been a few hundred cases confirmed, for every confirmed case, the CDC estimates 38 cases slip through the cracks. So, that means Foster Farms chicken may have infected and sickened over 10,000 people.
When USDA inspectors went in to investigate, they found 25% of the chicken they sampled was contaminated with the outbreak strain of salmonella—likely because of all the “fecal [matter they found] on [the] carcasses.”
Consumer Reports, in their February 2014 issue, published a study they did on the high cost of cheap chicken in general, finding 97% of retail chicken breasts off store shelves were contaminated with bacteria that could make people sick. 38% of the salmonella they found was resistant to multiple antibiotics, and considered a serious public health threat by the CDC. Consumer Reports suggested the “cramped conditions” on factory chicken farms may be playing a role. And, indeed, new research shows the stress of overcrowding can increase salmonella invasion.
The Pew Commission released a special report on the Foster Farms outbreaks, concluding that the outbreaks “bring into sharp focus the ineffectiveness” of USDA’s approach to “minimizing salmonella contamination in poultry products. The agency’s response…was inadequate to protect public health.” And, to this date, “thousands of people are getting sick with [these] preventable foodborne illnesses.” Among their radical recommendations: “Close facilities [that are] failing to produce safe food, and keep them closed” until their products stop sending people to the hospital.
What did Foster Farms have to say for itself? They said their chicken was “safe to eat,” there’s still “no recall in effect,” and that it is “Grade A wholesome.” In the same breath, though, they say salmonella on chicken happens all the time. Grade A wholesome, but might kill us if we don’t handle it right.
As outspoken food safety advocate Bill Marler put it, the poultry industry’s reaction to the presence of fecal contamination on chicken is that “[it] Happens.”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- S. B. Fein, A. M. Lando, A. S. Levy, M. F. Teisl, C. Noblet. Trends in U.S. Consumers' safe handling and consumption of food and their risk perceptions, 1988 through 2010. J. Food Prot. 2011 74(9):1513 - 1523.
- A. C. Voetsch, T. J. Van Gilder, F. J. Angulo, M. M. Farley, S. Shallow, R. Marcus, P. R. Cieslak, V. C. Deneen, R. V. Tauxe, others. FoodNet estimate of the burden of illness caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004 38(Supplement - 3):S127 - S134.
- P. Rusin, P. Orosz-Coughlin, C. Gerba. Reduction of faecal coliform, coliform and heterotrophic plate count bacteria in the household kitchen and bathroom by disinfection with hypochlorite cleaners. Journal of Applied Microbiology 1998 85(5):819 - 828.
- CDC. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013.
- P. Fravalo, M.-J. Laisney, M.-O. Gillard, G. Salvat, M. Chemaly. Campylobacter transfer from naturally contaminated chicken thighs to cutting boards is inversely related to initial load. J. Food Prot. 2009 72(9):1836 - 1840.
- A. V. S. Gomes, W. M. Quinteiro-Filho, A. Ribeiro, V. Ferraz-de-Paula, M. L. Pinheiro, E. Baskeville, A. T. Akamine, C. S. Astolfi-Ferreira, A. J. P. Ferreira, J. Palermo-Neto. Overcrowding stress decreases macrophage activity and increases Salmonella Enteritidis invasion in broiler chickens. Avian Pathol. 2013
- ConsumerReports.org. The High Cost of Cheap Chicken. ConsumerReports.org 2013
- T. P. Oscar. Initial contamination of chicken parts with Salmonella at retail and cross-contamination of cooked chicken with Salmonella from raw chicken during meal preparation. J. Food Prot. 2013 76(1):33 - 39.
- S. F. Altekruse, D. A. Street, S. B. Fein, A. S. Levy. Consumer knowledge of foodborne microbial hazards and food-handling practices. J. Food Prot. 1996 59(3):287 - 294.
- M. Guyard-Nicod`eme, O. Tresse, E. Houard, F. Jugiau, C. Courtillon, K. El Manaa, M.-J. Laisney, M. Chemaly. Characterization of Campylobacter spp. Transferred from naturally contaminated chicken legs to cooked chicken slices via a cutting board. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 2013 164(1):7 - 14.
- S. Hoffmann, M. B. Batz, J. G. Morris Jr. Annual cost of illness and quality-adjusted life year losses in the United States due to 14 foodborne pathogens. J. Food Prot. 2012 75(7):1292 - 1302.
- United States Court of Appeals. USDA vs Supreme Beef Processors. 2001.
- Ron Foster. 2013. Foster Farms Food Safety Update.
- USDA. 2013. Notice of Intended Enforcement.
- USDHHS. Homicide rates among persons aged 10-24 years - United States, 1981-2010. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2013 62(27):545 - 548.
- Chai, S. J., & White, P. L. (2012). Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis: Increasing Incidence of Domestically Acquired Infections. Oxford Journals: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 54(Sup5), 488-497.
- Outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to a single poultry producer -- 13 states, 2012-2013. (2013). Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 62, 553-556. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23842445
- The Pew Charitable Trusts. Weaknesses in FSIS's Salmonella Regulation. Dec 19, 2013.
Images thanks to jillmotts, EssjayNZ, and snowpea&bokchoi via flickr; and Grendelkhan via Wikimedia
- ancianos
- antibióticos
- bacterias fecales
- carne
- CDC
- Centro para la Ciencia en el Interés Público
- contaminación fecal
- enfermedad transmitida a través de los alimentos
- influencia de la industria
- intoxicación por alimentos
- mortalidad
- niñez
- pavo
- pollo
- prácticas de ganadería industrial
- productos avícolas
- Salmonela
- Unión de Consumidores
- USDA
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Salmonella causes more hospitalizations than any other foodborne illness, more deaths than any other foodborne illness, and it’s on the rise. Salmonella causes a million cases of food poisoning every year in the U.S., and over the last decade or so, the number of cases have “increased by 44%”—particularly among children and the elderly. And, chicken is the #1 cause.
From spring 2012 to spring 2013, the Centers for Disease Control reported over 100 individuals infected across 13 states with a particularly virulent strain of salmonella. One in three were hospitalized. Investigations pointed to Foster Farms-brand chicken as the most likely cause of the outbreak—the sixth largest chicken producer in the U.S. The CDC warned people, but nothing was done. Foster Farms apparently continued to pump out contaminated meat. In October, the CDC-reported outbreak expanded to 21 states.
Though there’s only been a few hundred cases confirmed, for every confirmed case, the CDC estimates 38 cases slip through the cracks. So, that means Foster Farms chicken may have infected and sickened over 10,000 people.
When USDA inspectors went in to investigate, they found 25% of the chicken they sampled was contaminated with the outbreak strain of salmonella—likely because of all the “fecal [matter they found] on [the] carcasses.”
Consumer Reports, in their February 2014 issue, published a study they did on the high cost of cheap chicken in general, finding 97% of retail chicken breasts off store shelves were contaminated with bacteria that could make people sick. 38% of the salmonella they found was resistant to multiple antibiotics, and considered a serious public health threat by the CDC. Consumer Reports suggested the “cramped conditions” on factory chicken farms may be playing a role. And, indeed, new research shows the stress of overcrowding can increase salmonella invasion.
The Pew Commission released a special report on the Foster Farms outbreaks, concluding that the outbreaks “bring into sharp focus the ineffectiveness” of USDA’s approach to “minimizing salmonella contamination in poultry products. The agency’s response…was inadequate to protect public health.” And, to this date, “thousands of people are getting sick with [these] preventable foodborne illnesses.” Among their radical recommendations: “Close facilities [that are] failing to produce safe food, and keep them closed” until their products stop sending people to the hospital.
What did Foster Farms have to say for itself? They said their chicken was “safe to eat,” there’s still “no recall in effect,” and that it is “Grade A wholesome.” In the same breath, though, they say salmonella on chicken happens all the time. Grade A wholesome, but might kill us if we don’t handle it right.
As outspoken food safety advocate Bill Marler put it, the poultry industry’s reaction to the presence of fecal contamination on chicken is that “[it] Happens.”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- S. B. Fein, A. M. Lando, A. S. Levy, M. F. Teisl, C. Noblet. Trends in U.S. Consumers' safe handling and consumption of food and their risk perceptions, 1988 through 2010. J. Food Prot. 2011 74(9):1513 - 1523.
- A. C. Voetsch, T. J. Van Gilder, F. J. Angulo, M. M. Farley, S. Shallow, R. Marcus, P. R. Cieslak, V. C. Deneen, R. V. Tauxe, others. FoodNet estimate of the burden of illness caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004 38(Supplement - 3):S127 - S134.
- P. Rusin, P. Orosz-Coughlin, C. Gerba. Reduction of faecal coliform, coliform and heterotrophic plate count bacteria in the household kitchen and bathroom by disinfection with hypochlorite cleaners. Journal of Applied Microbiology 1998 85(5):819 - 828.
- CDC. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013.
- P. Fravalo, M.-J. Laisney, M.-O. Gillard, G. Salvat, M. Chemaly. Campylobacter transfer from naturally contaminated chicken thighs to cutting boards is inversely related to initial load. J. Food Prot. 2009 72(9):1836 - 1840.
- A. V. S. Gomes, W. M. Quinteiro-Filho, A. Ribeiro, V. Ferraz-de-Paula, M. L. Pinheiro, E. Baskeville, A. T. Akamine, C. S. Astolfi-Ferreira, A. J. P. Ferreira, J. Palermo-Neto. Overcrowding stress decreases macrophage activity and increases Salmonella Enteritidis invasion in broiler chickens. Avian Pathol. 2013
- ConsumerReports.org. The High Cost of Cheap Chicken. ConsumerReports.org 2013
- T. P. Oscar. Initial contamination of chicken parts with Salmonella at retail and cross-contamination of cooked chicken with Salmonella from raw chicken during meal preparation. J. Food Prot. 2013 76(1):33 - 39.
- S. F. Altekruse, D. A. Street, S. B. Fein, A. S. Levy. Consumer knowledge of foodborne microbial hazards and food-handling practices. J. Food Prot. 1996 59(3):287 - 294.
- M. Guyard-Nicod`eme, O. Tresse, E. Houard, F. Jugiau, C. Courtillon, K. El Manaa, M.-J. Laisney, M. Chemaly. Characterization of Campylobacter spp. Transferred from naturally contaminated chicken legs to cooked chicken slices via a cutting board. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 2013 164(1):7 - 14.
- S. Hoffmann, M. B. Batz, J. G. Morris Jr. Annual cost of illness and quality-adjusted life year losses in the United States due to 14 foodborne pathogens. J. Food Prot. 2012 75(7):1292 - 1302.
- United States Court of Appeals. USDA vs Supreme Beef Processors. 2001.
- Ron Foster. 2013. Foster Farms Food Safety Update.
- USDA. 2013. Notice of Intended Enforcement.
- USDHHS. Homicide rates among persons aged 10-24 years - United States, 1981-2010. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2013 62(27):545 - 548.
- Chai, S. J., & White, P. L. (2012). Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis: Increasing Incidence of Domestically Acquired Infections. Oxford Journals: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 54(Sup5), 488-497.
- Outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to a single poultry producer -- 13 states, 2012-2013. (2013). Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 62, 553-556. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23842445
- The Pew Charitable Trusts. Weaknesses in FSIS's Salmonella Regulation. Dec 19, 2013.
Images thanks to jillmotts, EssjayNZ, and snowpea&bokchoi via flickr; and Grendelkhan via Wikimedia
- ancianos
- antibióticos
- bacterias fecales
- carne
- CDC
- Centro para la Ciencia en el Interés Público
- contaminación fecal
- enfermedad transmitida a través de los alimentos
- influencia de la industria
- intoxicación por alimentos
- mortalidad
- niñez
- pavo
- pollo
- prácticas de ganadería industrial
- productos avícolas
- Salmonela
- Unión de Consumidores
- USDA
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Foster Farms Responds to Chicken Salmonella Outbreaks
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URLNota del Doctor
Salmonella contamination is also a problem in the U.S. egg supply, sickening more than 100,000 people every year (see Total Recall).
Other pathogens in meat include yersinia enterocolitica in pork (see Yersinia in Pork), staphylococcus (see U.S. Meat Supply Flying at Half Staph), MRSA (see MRSA in U.S. Retail Meat), hepatitis E (see Hepatitis E Virus in Pork), bladder-infecting E. coli (see Avoiding Chicken To Avoid Bladder Infections), clostridium difficile (see Toxic Megacolon Superbug), and campylobacter, the most common bacterial chicken pathogen (see Poultry & Paralysis).
Poultry appears to cause the most outbreaks, but is all chicken to blame equally? See Superbugs in Conventional vs. Organic Chicken.
How is it legal for Foster Farms to continue to ship out meat known to be contaminated with a dangerous pathogen? See Why is Selling Salmonella-Tainted Chicken Legal? And, stay tuned to learn more in Chicken Salmonella Thanks to Meat Industry Lawsuit.
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