Feces Found in Nearly 50% of Grocery Chicken

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The Physicians Council for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) tested chicken from 15 different grocery stores in 10 major cities and found nearly half of their samples to be contaminated with feces.

The test sampled 25 major brands of chicken, including Perdue, Pilgrim's and Sanderson Farms. Coliform bacteria, commonly found in chicken dung, was present in 48% of the samples.

Surprisingly, there was no major difference between organic and conventional chickens. Each had roughly the same amount of contamination. Skinless chicken breasts, however, turned out to have the highest rates of contamination.

To make things worse, the USDA is considering privatizing poultry inspection. This could mean that inspectors would actually spend less time examining poultry and more contaminated chicken could end up in grocery stores.

We find this study troubling for a number of reasons. Obviously chicken that are contaminated with feces have been raised in poor conditions, probably overcrowded and unsanitary. Reports earlier this week that chickens were given antibiotics, arsenic and a cocktail of other drugs, is just more evidence that chickens are living in horrible conditions.

Many people may not care how chickens are treated, but humans also pay the price for their mistreatment. When you can find feces, arsenic, antibiotics, antihistamines, acetaminophen, caffeine and other harmful drugs in chicken, you have to realize that factory farming is good for no person or animal.

We hope that more people will consider going vegetarian or vegan for both animal and human health. With reports of pink slime, drug cocktails in chicken and now feces in chicken, it seems to be a no-brainer.