I just read an article about arsenic in chicken and decided to follow up with some web research of my own. Here’s what I found:
Many chicken ranchers routinely use arsenic in chicken feed to control intestinal parasites and promote growth. Of the 8.7 billion billion American broiler chickens produced each year, at least 70 percent have been fed arsenic. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) tested samples of chicken and found arsenic to be in the majority of chicken that most people eat. Although the arsenic levels are lower than the levels set by the FDA, it is an additional unnecessary exposure to arsenic. Arsenic is in our water, rice, fish and a number of other foods. Soil is contaminated with chicken manure laced with arsenic and chicken litter contaminated with arsenic is fed to other animals. This has a cumulative effect, compounding the exposure we have to arsenic.
The good news is that chicken breasts from major producers, such as Tyson and Foster Farms had no detectable arsenic. In addition, Bell & Evans and Eberly chickens are arsenic-free. Use the Eat Well Guide to find other chicken producers who do not use artificial feed additives by zip-code. You can also buy certified organic chicken or those labeled as antibiotic-free. Arsenic is permitted in chicken labeled as kosher, free-range or all-natural chicken. You can also remove the skin from a chicken treated with arsenic, which reduces levels significantly.
For more information see Playing Chicken: Avoiding Arsenic in Your Meat and Frequently asked questions on Playing Chicken: Avoiding Arsenic in Your Meat.
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Oh great. There’s lead in our lipstick and arsenic in our chicken. What’s next?
And we wonder why we develop cancer…checked out your blog and love the cheekiness of it!
dear abarclay, next is aflatoxins in your chillie powder
Dear dev, I had no idea what this was so had to check out the fsis website:
Aflatoxin is a cancer-causing poison produced by certain fungi in or on foods and feeds, especially in field corn and peanuts. They are probably the best known and most intensively researched mycotoxins in the world. Aflatoxins have been associated with various diseases, such as aflatoxicosis in livestock, domestic animals, and humans throughout the world. Many countries try to limit exposure to aflatoxin by regulating and monitoring its presence on commodities intended for use as food and feed. The prevention of aflatoxin is one of the most challenging toxicology issues of present time.
I am not comforted…