The Trouble with Chicken

Across America, chicken and turkey are both considered to be safe and healthy food choices. But that view has been shaken in recent years, especially after dozens of people fell sick and were hospitalized during a 2014 outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg bacteria, a particularly virulent strain that is highly resistant to antibiotics. Hosted by David E. Hoffman, this PBS-aired Frontline report looks at the recent Salmonella outbreak, exploring what it reveals about both government safety inspections and the poultry industry, whose multibillion dollar enterprise has a wide distribution network with the potential to sicken consumers in multiple states. Salmonella is actually present in one out of every four pieces of chicken, but while most salmonella infections are manageable, the bacteria causes more hospitalizations and deaths than any other food-related illness. The Heidelberg outbreak was traced to Foster Farms, one of the largest poultry producers on the West Coast. The documentary notes that poultry inspection has failed to keep up with the times, relying on the old fashioned "sniff, smell, and look" approach, along with sporadic and unreliable testing (the process is also poor at inspecting chicken parts—a consumer favorite—compared to the whole chicken). Foster Farms was not required to label salmonella an "adulterant" (unlike the E. coli virus), and government inspectors—fearing court challenges—could not force a factory recall. The poultry industry has a powerful lobby with many friends in Congress, so protective action remains difficult. A thought-provoking exposé featuring real-life stories that are likely to disturb shoppers, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)