Consumer groups want more oversight of poultry industry

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Consumer groups called on the U.S. government to strengthen oversight of the poultry industry after research indicates high risks of bacteria.

A report released Thursday by the Pew Charitable Trusts reviewed two recent salmonella outbreaks associated with Foster Farms chicken. The survey determined the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Services lacks the ability to protect the public from food-borne bacteria, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Meanwhile, a report released by Consumer Reports magazine tested 300 store-bought chicken breasts and found nearly every one was contaminated by bacteria.

Both reports called on the government to have more oversight of the $70 billion poultry industry, the Times reported.

"Making chicken safer to eat will require a revamping of the way that it's raised and processed," said Consumer Reports.

Food-borne illnesses sicken 48 million people and kill 3,000 every year in the United States, the newspaper said.