Although you may expect the meat you purchase to be free of health-threatening bacteria, bacterial foodborne illness is serious health problem in the U.S. Each year, foodborne bacteria cause nearly 5.2 million illnesses, 36,000 hospitalizations and almost 1300 deaths.

Most foodborne illness caused by bacteria leads to a few days of intense discomfort. But for more severe infections that spread beyond the intestine, antibiotics can be lifesaving. The fact that foodborne bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics therefore raises serious concerns.

Eating food that contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria can have a direct impact on health. Bacteria in meat juices can also contaminate surfaces and utensils, indirectly leading to infection. Resistant bacteria can cause more severe or prolonged illnesses than non-resistant bacteria. Mounting evidence also suggests that, when ingested, antibiotic-resistant bacteria on food may be able to pass their resistance on to other bacteria in the human intestine.

Recent studies confirm that meat sold on U.S. retail shelves carries significant levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• A December 2002 study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Sierra Club looked at whole chickens and ground turkey purchased at supermarkets in Des Moines, IA and Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. Of the meat tested for bacteria, 95 percent of the chickens were contaminated with Campylobacter and 45 percent of the ground turkey was contaminated with Salmonella. Nearly 62 percent of the Campylobacter bacteria tested from chickens and over 62 percent of the Salmonella bacteria tested from turkey were resistant to at least one antibiotic.
• The January 2003 issue of Consumer Reports shows that 49 percent of the chickens CR bought at supermarkets and other stores were contaminated with Campylobacter and/or Salmonella bacteria. The study of whole chickens purchased in 25 cities noted that 90 percent of the Campylobacter tested and 34 percent of the Salmonella tested showed resistance to at least one antibiotic.
• A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in October 2001 tested ground meats purchased from supermarkets in the Washington, DC area and found that 20 percent were contaminated with Salmonella. Of the Salmonella tested for resistance, 84 percent were resistant to at least one antibiotic, 53 percent were resistant to three or more, and 27 percent were resistant to at least six antibiotics.