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The movie Food, Inc. aims to expose dangers in our U.S. food industry

Chicago Family Health Examiner
June 12, 2009
By Jasmine Jafferali

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Food Inc., a documentary is being released on June 12 exposing the dirty little secrets behind the food industry. New strains of deadly e-coli are popping up in our meats and no one really seems to care about what is happening to our food supply. Let's just take a look at our chicken supply for example...

The average American eats approximately 42 pounds of chicken per year (equivalent to 222 chicken breasts) and your chances for getting sick are pretty high. An estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illnesses occur each year in the United States (and you thought you were scared of the swine flu?). In just the past decade, poultry has caused more food poisoning cases than any other food group including, fruit, seafood, vegetables and beef, according to data from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). About seventy percent of broiler chickens are fed arsenic, a known carcinogen at some point. Arsenic is added to fatten their chickens-and to give the bird that pinkish hue, the scary thing is...it is legal. Don't forget the antibiotics that are used in the chickens to prevent any further illnesses the little bird may get while being cooped up in their little homes.

According to the USDA, the average person ingests approximately 8.1 micrograms of arsenic per day from chickens. Add the arsenic we ingest from unfiltered water, environmental factors, our risk for certain cancers goes up. The USDA also requires one USDA officer on site in every meat processing plant, giving visual once overs to about 35 birds per minute. The USDA also requires salmonella testing once a year which pulls one sample from the plant per 51 days. If more than 20 percent of those samples (about 12 chickens) test positive for salmonella, the plant is closed down. If it is less than 12 chickens, they are being put right onto our grocery shelves.

Here is what you need to know about grocery shopping for your chicken. The USDA has begun using identifying digits known as "P numbers," unfortunately, the section on this website is no longer is existence to look up the offending plants. You can click here and check back the offending plants on its website.

So who is safe? Brands such as Tyson, Rocky Jr. Natural Chicken, Gerber Amish and Smart Chicken are all good brands. A study done in 2006 by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found their products to contain little or no arsenic. When purchasing chicken, pick clean packages. If the package appears leaky, gooey, sticky, it is most likely contaminated. The leaks can get onto your other foods in your grocery carts.

Here are a few ways to minimize your risk:

Cook your meats thoroughly. If it is still pink or the juice does not run clear, send it back. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20-seconds after touching chicken. Buy a meat thermometer and stick it in the thickest part of the chicken (the thigh). If you can buy organic chickens or at least hormone free meats. (here is a tip: make friends with the butcher, then ask him when they will be offering deals on their best cuts of organic meats; then go back and purchase) Some families are going directly to the farm to buy their organic cows and chickens. If you have the freezer space or can split the cost with a family, you'll be eating better and saving more money than if you were to buy conventional cuts. Shop at places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market where their philosophies do not sell anything artificial, treated with hormones and cares about the environment. Other useful articles:

NY Reuters: Film aims to expose dangers in U.S. food industry

Whole Foods: Food Inc., is hungry for a change

Watch the Food, Inc. Trailer

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.