PCRM Finds E. coli in Nearly Half of Supermarket Chicken

By Rashida Harmon | April 16, 2012

The organization says 48 percent of chicken products tested positive for fecal contamination.

According to a new study released by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, nearly half of all store-bought chicken is contaminated with E. coli. The organization tested chicken products purchased at major supermarket chains in 10 US cities, and found that each city had items test positive for the potentially harmful bacteria. PCRM President Neal Barnard, MD says the pathogen is found in fecal matter, which can be spread at several points in the chicken-producing process. “Most consumers do not realize that feces are in the chicken products they purchase. Food labels discuss contamination as if it is simply the presence of bacteria, but people need to know that it means much more than that,” Barnard says.

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