"chickens" news and stories

In a recent study, Consumer Reports concluded that 83% of all the chickens sold in the US are likely to contain foodborne illness-causing bacteria, such as campylobacter and salmonella. Known for its reliable research techniques and consumer-minded approach to issues, Consumer reports has come under criticism from the USDA, which "called the report 'junk science.'"

The CR study involved running tests on 525 supermarket chickens (from leading brands) before drawing their conclusions. Despite the fact that different brands were tested, the USDA says that the sample size was too small to conclude anything about all the chickens in the country - especially considering that there are something like 9 billion chickens killed for food in the US every year. A spokesperson for the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said that the methodology was not there, or at least was not sufficiently explained, to justify the conclusions. For example, the study found that 15% of chickens carried salmonella (a number actually in line with USDA data), but failed to identify the strain(s) present, not even mentioning that not every strain makes people sick.

The USDA will conduct its own study of the matter beginning in January.

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A lot of supermarkets make pretty good roasted chickens in their deli sections. They are inexpensive and usually fresh, so they make a convenient dinner after a long day of work. While some supermarkets package theirs in grease-proof bags, it seems like the majority use large plastic boxes that are way too much packaging for the product they contain. This is just one example, of course, but there are many others that illustrate the ways in which supermarket packaging, like that of so many other industries, is wasteful.

Now, some supermarkets are being asked to do something about it - in the UK, at least. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has called for 13 of Britain's biggest retailers, including all their major supermarkets, to cut back. Statistics show that one sixth of household waste "comes directly from supermarket packaging." Fortunately, the markets have already taken some steps to help, investing in recycling centers and reducing the thickness of bags and other packaging materials.

If only the same could be said for those chicken containers at markets in the US...

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Ben & Jerry's dropped an egg supplier earlier this summer when doubts were raised about their handling of chickens. To appease their critics, as well as to support their company's goals of "progressive practices", the ice cream manufacturer has said that they will now only use eggs that meet an even higher standard than the average cage-free egg.

The new plan, which will take four years to implement, will require that Ben and Jerry's suppliers provide eggs from chickens that "nests, perches and dust bathing areas" in conditions that could be considered natural for the birds. Company spokespeople say that this change will have a "massive" impact on the egg industry and they expect that more companies will change their practices to ease "the societal concern" for chickens.

There is no telling what effect, if any, this change will have on the cost of the company's products.

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When it came out that Ben & Jerry's, the socially aware ice cream company owned by Unilever, was purchasing eggs from a facility that was accused of mistreating its chickens by the Humane Society, which released a report that revealed the supplier had dead and dying chickens with living ones and that all were kept in small cages. Consumers were not pleased. They expected more from the activist ice cream producers. But Ben & Jerry listened to those concerns, as well as the concerns from the Humane Society, and has dropped the egg producer in question from its list of suppliers, though the CEO would not commit to switching to cage-free eggs for its US operation, though they use free range eggs in Europe.

Now we will just have to wait and see if this move affects either sales or production, given that Sarah noted the ice cream maker purchased over 30 million eggs each year from the egg company and that consumers might want the company to source its ingredients more responsibly in the future.

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The last month saw a devastating heat wave in California, with sustained temperatures of well over 100F, and up to 120F in the deserts. The heat created lines in front of ice cream shops all over the state, but many other industries were heavily impacted. The dairy industry actually suffered losses of as many as 16,000 cows, just from the heat alone, as even overnight the temperatures did not drop down to give the animals relief. Other cows miscarried or couldn't conceive, and the milk that was gathered during the period had a lower butterfat content, making it unsuitable for some uses, like cheesemaking. The dairy industry alone could take 9 months to recover fully.

Other industries - and by extension, consumers - had losses as well. The California Poultry Federation estimated that 750,000 chickens and 180,000 turkeys also died as a direct result of the heat wave, though it is a very small percentage of the industry, so prices are unlikely to be affected. Strawberries over-ripened or rotted, stone fruits were sunburned and tomatoes "literally cooked in their skins," leading to an estimated loss of 10% of the total crop in some places. The effects on other foods, like nuts, will not be seen until their harvest comes around in fall, but California agriculture will need some time to recover fully.

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