Another Reason To Consider Your Meat Intake: Bacteria Found In Top U.K. Chicken Retailers

If you are still eating meat, this may be just the push you need to switch to meat alternatives. In compliance with the Food Standards Agency, on June 15th, nine large retailers throughout the UK released their testing results on whole chickens containing Campylobacter contamination. Their results produced worrisome findings. What does that mean? There has been dangerous bacteria found in chicken.

The samples collected showed that on average, 3.8% of the chickens sold among the top retailers contained the highest level of campylobacter contamination. If this does not shock you, this strand of bacteria causes approximately 1.3 million food-related illnesses a year. For those that come in contact with this contaminant, it can cause severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, fever, and vomiting.

The chickens that tested positive for this bacteria are carrying roughly 1,000 colony forming units of Campylobacter per gram. When tested last October through December 2017, 3.6% of the chickens tested were contaminated, and in a September 2017 study, 4.6% contained campylobacter!

This is evidently an issue that can potentially cause consumers a lot of worry and even food poisoning.

One can become sick with food poisoning when consuming undercooked meats, particularly poultry, raw or contaminated milk, and even fish. Animals often come into contact with this bacteria through feces, which can then be transmitted to humans who consume an infected animal. This food-borne illness can be particularly dangerous for very young children, those with a lowered immune system, or elderly individuals, and can sometimes be fatal in serious cases.

The best way to avoid food-poisoning is by bypassing potentially contaminated meats or animal products altogether!

Does this make you curious to try some new, meat alternatives?

With these recent findings on chicken contamination, you may be looking to leave it off your plate. These vegan recipes from our Food Monster App are great and tasty alternatives to chicken!

‘Chicken’ and Whole Wheat Biscuits

This vegan Chicken and Biscuit recipe is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a Sunday brunch!

Healthy Chick’n Noodle Soup

Nothing is more warming than a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and now you can enjoy a plant-based version using extra-firm tofu! This recipe is extra flavorful and completely guilt-free!

Chicken-Free Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

For this chicken-free satay, you can feel free to use seitan, tofu, or vegan chicken! The satay marinade brings this dish to the next level with savory tamari, sesame oil, garlic, coriander, and cumin.

To learn more, check out this ultimate guide to meat alternatives, and download our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 10,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

Lead Image Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr