God made a farmer

Nearly half of supermarket chicken tainted by feces

Poultry Products Rarely Tested for Contamination, Cause 1.5 Million Illnesses a Year

Nearly half the chicken products marketed by national brands and sold in supermarkets are contaminated with feces, according to laboratory test results of chicken samples from 15 grocery store chains in 10 major U.S. cities. The testing was conducted by an independent analytical testing laboratory at the request of the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

PCRM investigated chickens from Perdue, Pilgrim’s, and Sanderson Farms, as well as 22 other popular brands. Testing revealed that 48 percent of the chicken samples tested positive for fecal contamination, indicated by the presence of coliform bacteria commonly found in chicken dung. The bacterial species E. coli is a type of coliform bacteria and a specific indicator used by slaughter and processing plants to check for fecal contamination of food products and water.

Chicken samples from every city and every grocery store chain tested positive. In Dallas, 100 percent of the chicken bought at the Kroger’s store tested positive for fecal matter. In Washington, D.C., 83 percent of the chicken bought at a Giant store and 67 percent of the chicken bought at a Safeway tested positive. Samples were also tested in Charleston, S.C., Milwaukee, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, and San Diego.

“One in every two supermarket chickens is contaminated with feces,” says PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D. “Meat packers can’t avoid contaminating poultry products during production, and consumers are cooking and eating chicken feces in about half the cases.”

Skinless chicken breast was particularly likely to have fecal traces, and both “organically produced” and “conventional” products were frequently contaminated.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now considering privatizing poultry inspection. The proposal would reduce the time poultry workers have to inspect each carcass for feces and could result in more contaminated chicken products reaching supermarket shelves.

The results of independent lab tests were as follows:

Fecal Contamination of Chicken Products in 10 U.S. Cities
City	Grocery Store	Chicken Products with Fecal Contamination
Charleston, S.C.	Harris Teeter	33%
	Publix	33%
Chicago, Ill.	Dominick’s	33%
	Jewel-Osco	67%
Dallas, Texas	Albertsons	33%
	Kroger	100%
Denver, Colo.	Albertsons	50%
	Safeway	67%
Houston, Texas	H-E-B	17%
	Randalls	17%
Miami, Fla.	Publix	50%
	Winn-Dixie	83%
Milwaukee, Wis.	Pic ‘n Save	17%
	Piggly Wiggly	50%
Phoenix, Ariz.	Fry’s	50%
	Safeway*	0%
San Diego, Calif.	Albertsons	17%
	Ralphs	83%
Washington, D.C.	Giant	83%
	Safeway	67%

* Indicates a store where retesting was performed; retesting found that 60 percent of the samples were positive for fecal contamination.

A 2009 USDA study found that 87 percent of chicken carcasses tested positive for E. coli after chilling and just prior to packaging. Every year, contaminated poultry products cause approximately 1.5 million illnesses, 12,000 hospitalizations, and 180 deaths. However, most people eating cooked chicken feces have no symptoms and are unaware of what they have ingested.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/reports/fecal-contamination-in-retail-chicken-products

No wonder we’re sick!

Chili’s Molten Lava Cake – 1,070 calories, 51 g fat, (26 g saturated), 143 carbs

And no wonder restaurants don’t want to post the nutritional info on their menus.

These aren’t the worst offenders–but here’s a sampling of some of the meals that even health-conscious folks might consider ordering.

Marie Callender’s Spanish Omelette:  1,550 calories, 78 g fat (25 g saturated), 2,980 mg sodium

Baja Fresh Chips and Gaucamole:  1,340 calories, 83 g fat (8 g saturated), 950 mg sodium

California Pizza Kitchen Tuscan Hummus with pita:  861 calories, 4 g satuated fat, 1,562 mg sodium

Ruby Tuesday Buffalo Shrimp Quesadilla:  1,465 calories, 89 g fat, 3,528 mg sodium

Houlihan’s Fire Grilled BBQ Salmon Salad:  1,182 calories, 61 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,719 mg sodium

T.G.I. Friday’s Santa Fe Chopped Salad:  1,800 calories

Panera Bread Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat Sandwich: 750 calories, 47 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,130 mg sodium

Chipotle Grilled Chicken Fajita Burrito:  870 calories, 30 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,940 sodium

Thank you to the Healthy Librarian at:

http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/recipes/

Food contamination

This photo illustration shows a range of food that can easily be contaminated. Illustration by Brandon Quester/News21

 

 

“Food”

Obesity: We’re #1!

 Rank   Country     Amount   
# 1    United States: 30.6%  
# 2    Mexico: 24.2%  
# 3    United Kingdom: 23%  
# 4    Slovakia: 22.4%  
# 5    Greece: 21.9%  
# 6    Australia: 21.7%  
# 7    New Zealand: 20.9%  
# 8    Hungary: 18.8%  
# 9    Luxembourg: 18.4%  
# 10    Czech Republic: 14.8%  
# 11    Canada: 14.3%  
# 12    Spain: 13.1%  
# 13    Ireland: 13%  
# 14    Germany: 12.9%  
= 15    Portugal: 12.8%  
= 15    Finland: 12.8%  
# 17    Iceland: 12.4%  
# 18    Turkey: 12%  
# 19    Belgium: 11.7%  
# 20    Netherlands: 10%  
# 21    Sweden: 9.7%  
# 22    Denmark: 9.5%  
# 23    France: 9.4%  
# 24    Austria: 9.1%  
# 25    Italy: 8.5%  
# 26    Norway: 8.3%  
# 27    Switzerland: 7.7%  
= 28    Japan: 3.2%  
= 28    Korea, South: 3.2%  
 Weighted average: 14.1%   

DEFINITION: Percentage of total population who have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 Kg/sq.meters Obesity rates are defined as the percentage of the population with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. The BMI is a single number that evaluates an individual’s weight status in relation to height (weight/height2, with weight in kilograms and height in metres). For Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, figures are based on health examinations, rather than self-reported information. Obesity estimates derived from health examinations are generally higher and more reliable than those coming from self-reports, because they preclude any misreporting of people’s height and weight. However, health examinations are only conducted regularly in a few countries (OECD).

SOURCE: OECD Health Data 2005

Homegrown Revolution – You Can Do It, One Step at a Time

Buy Cage Free Eggs, cut salmonella risk in half

The latest, and ever growing, egg recall illustrates the risk to public health of cramming millions of hens in cages so small they can barely move an inch their whole lives, says animal rights protection organisation HSUS in the USA.

“Factory farms that cram egg-laying hens into tiny cages are not only cruel, but they threaten food safety,” stated Michael Greger, MD director of public health and animal agriculture for The Humane Society of the United States. “According to the best available science, simply by switching to cage-free housing systems, the egg industry may be able to halve the risk of Salmonella for the American public.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 100,000 Americans suffer egg-borne Salmonella infections every year, HSUS states. An increase in Salmonella infections led this week to a nationwide recall of eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa. Every single scientific study published in recent years comparing Salmonella contamination between cage and cage-free operations has found that confining hens in cages significantly increases Salmonella risk.

To protect public health, the industry must take steps to reduce risks on the farm, including moving to cage-free operations, HSUS says.

You can help, one egg purchase at a time. Buy local, buy cage free.

5 Overrated & Underrated Foods

Some foods get all the attention and don’t deserve it. Others are gems that go largely unnoticed. It’s not just a coincidence. Some high-profile foods are backed by hefty ad budgets, while other foods have nothing but your grandmother’s (long-forgotten) endorsement. It’s time to set the record straight

Good article in Nutrition Action on overrated and underated foods:

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/overratedfoods.html

Broccoli (and other green veggies) protect arteries

It’s long been thought that broccoli is good for your heart, and now British scientists think they know why.

Researchers at Imperial College London have found evidence a chemical in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables could boost a natural defense mechanism that protects arteries from the clogging that can cause heart attacks.

Read more at http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5833ZZ20090904