Broiler chicken is usually the kind of chicken most Americans consume. But there is a downside to this staple. With the risk of food poisoning and antibiotic resistance becoming very real concerns, should you be exploring alternatives? If not, safety measures like cooking, storing, and preparing it right could save you a lot of trouble and ward off infections.
Food Poisoning
Consumer Reports published a feature on the results of their tests on a sample of chicken breasts of different brands including organic ones, from across the United States. They found potentially harmful bacteria in a whopping 97% of the tested chicken samples.
Growth Hormones
When you eat these broiler chickens, the antibiotics and other things injected into the birds could possibly enter your bodies too. The European Union banned the use of synthetic hormones in animals bred for meat way back in 1981. However, similar legislation hasn’t hit American shores yet. If the poultry you consume did indeed have such hormones in them, there are concerns that they could affect you too.
Antibiotic Resistance
This on its own is problem enough, but to make things a little more challenging comes the added issue of antibiotic resistance. Because broilers are bred in such intensive conditions and are often low on immunity, they are chock-full of antibiotics given to keep up the health of the bird and prevent outbreaks.
