High level of raw chicken in danger of bacteria, say researchers

Thanksgiving was scarcely a month ago, and already we find families gathering once again to celebrate the holidays, probably with a meal that might include lavishly prepared meat. But despite all the best plans, some meat products might have an added element of risk. In fact, Consumer Reports says that it’s much more than “some,” at least when it comes to raw chicken.

In their research, reporters found that 97 percent of the more than 300 chicken breasts that they looked at were contaminated with some form of salmonella bacteria. The potential for contracting this disease is huge and spread out across the country. In some cases, complications can be so severe that victims have to be hospitalized.

In addition to the PR that companies might have to do when such an outbreak gets traced back to them, there’s a level of prevention they might have to take in the future in order to re-affirm their customers’ trust.

If color label printers are already onhand, then your business can at least create new packaging advising consumers to take proper precautions and prepare these foods correctly. It’s better than trying to ignore completely the new information customers will have about you and the associations that may form in their mind.

This can also be a lesson to food producers on how to make labels that don’t skim over important definitions or mislead consumers with vague titles. As Consumer Reports notes, “more than half of the 1,005 U.S. residents polled thought that “natural” chickens didn’t receive antibiotics or genetically modified feed” when it doesn’t guarantee such a thing.

Your labels can take pains to really inform consumers, and your product can benefit as a result.