“Chicken is safe. Like all fresh foods, raw chicken may have some
microorganisms present, but these are destroyed by the heat of normal cooking.
Consumers are encouraged to follow the safe handling and cooking instructions
printed on every package of fresh meat and poultry sold in this country.”
“A much more comprehensive survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found
Salmonella and Campylobacter on fewer raw chickens than Consumer Reports. More
important is the fact that USDA found that the levels of microorganisms present
are usually very low. Consumer Reports failed to perform this analysis. 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.”
The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors,
the companies that produce and process chickens. Member companies of NCC account
for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.
Source:
National Chicken Council