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Real Taco Trouble, Poultry Paranoia
By Molly Lee
Food safety has been in the forefront of media coverage lately, with an outbreak of E. coli in New York and New Jersey and a report claiming most of our chicken supply is contaminated with bacteria. There is an important distinction to be made between the E. coli outbreak and the chicken scare. The former is a legitimate concern and the latter is an overblown result of a flawed study.
Consumer Reports has just published a story on the safety of chicken that should be viewed with much skepticism. It states that as much as 83% of chicken sold in U.S. grocery stores may be contaminated with dangerous bacteria including campylobacter and salmonella. According to the USDA, this percentage is exaggerated and is the result of a seriously flawed "study." For one thing, the study only tested 525 chickens. This sample size is too small to effectively represent the entire U.S. supply of chicken. "There is virtually nothing or any conclusion that anyone could draw from 500 samples," said Steven Cohen, USDA spokesman. "They're passing along junk science and calling it an investigation."
The E. coli outbreak, on the other hand, is a legitimate public health concern. Health officials in New York and New Jersey have reported that at least thirty-nine people have been infected with E. coli bacteria. Two of them have been hospitalized, and all cases of the bacterial infection have been traced to Taco Bell restaurants. This is the second outbreak of E. coli in recent months, with the previous incident responsible for three deaths and over 200 infections in twenty-six states. That outbreak was linked to packages of contaminated spinach from California.
E. coli can be a serious threat to food safety and human health. It is transmitted to humans primarily through consumption of contaminated foods, such as raw or undercooked ground meat products and raw milk. It is destroyed by thorough cooking of foods until all parts reach a temperature of 158°F or higher. Symptoms of the diseases caused by E. coli include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhea. Fever and vomiting may also occur. There is no doubt that food safety should be a high concern for consumers and public health officials. Please see our publication Eating Safely: Avoiding Foodborne Illness.
The E. coli outbreak in September caused nationwide concern over the safety of produce. ACSH offered advice for protecting oneself from illness, including washing all produce, especially if it won't be cooked. All preventive action should be considered to protect the public from food-borne illness, including irradiation. Food irradiation is usually used to sanitize meat and poultry but should also be considered for fresh produce as well. The use of effective technology such as food irradiation should be utilized to prevent outbreaks such as these from occurring. In the past there have been health scares associated with irradiation, but these claims have not been based on sound science. See our publication Irradiated Foods.
E. coli is a serious infection and Americans have a right to be alarmed about the recent outbreaks. On the other hand, the Consumer Reports "study" should not be taken seriously, and there is no reason to stop buying chicken. As long as chicken (as well as other meat and poultry products) is properly cooked, and cross-contamination is avoided, bacterial infection should not be a concern. Unfortunately, stories such as the latest from Consumer Reports only serve to erase the distinction between legitimate concerns and unfounded scares.
Molly Lee is the Earhart Foundation Research Associate at the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
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