Is consuming chicken from Costco (Costco Wholesale) or Sam's Club (Sam's West) detrimental to my health?

From the Guidelines

Chicken from Costco or Sam's Club is generally not detrimental to your health when properly handled and cooked, as both retailers maintain quality standards for their poultry products. To ensure safety, it is crucial to cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to kill potential pathogens like Salmonella or Campylobacter, as recommended by general food safety guidelines 1. Store raw chicken in the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C) and use within 1-2 days, or freeze for longer storage. While these store-bought chickens may contain some antibiotics or be raised in conventional farming conditions, they meet USDA safety standards. If you have specific health concerns, consider organic options which both retailers also offer, though at a higher price point. These organic chickens are raised without antibiotics and may have slightly different nutritional profiles. The primary health risk from any chicken comes not from the source but from improper handling or undercooking.

Some key considerations for a healthy diet that includes chicken, as outlined in the American Heart Association's recommended eating pattern 1, include:

• Emphasizing whole grains and high dietary fiber
• Selecting lean meats, poultry, and eggs
• Choosing fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Limiting solid fats, added sugars, and sodium intake
• Incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts into your diet

It's also important to note that the risk of foodborne illness from chicken can be mitigated by proper handling and cooking techniques, as highlighted in a study on Clostridium perfringens illness 1. This study emphasizes the need for strict food preparation guidelines to prevent adverse outcomes, particularly among vulnerable populations. By following safe food handling practices and cooking chicken to the recommended internal temperature, you can minimize the risk of foodborne illness and enjoy chicken as part of a healthy diet.

From the Research

Contamination Rates in Chicken

• The study 2 found that fresh retail chicken breast is commonly contaminated with enteric pathogens associated with foodborne illness and commensal bacteria harboring genes conferring resistance to critically important antimicrobial drugs, regardless of product type.
• Another study 3 compared microbial profiles of chicken products labeled as coming from birds raised without antimicrobial medications with chicken products carrying conventional labels, and found no differences in percentages of samples positive for Enterococcus spp. or Escherichia coli.

Antibiotic Resistance in Chicken

• The study 4 examined the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli on raw chicken marketed as conventional, organic, kosher, and raised without antibiotics, and found that the frequency of antibiotic-resistant E. coli tended to be only slightly lower for raised without antibiotics chicken.
• A study 5 found that raising birds without the use of antimicrobials may not be effective in reducing the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter in chicken.

Comparison of Organic and Conventional Chicken

• The study 2 found that the recovery rate of Salmonella was not different between organic, antibiotic-free, and conventional product types.
• Another study 3 found that conventional samples contained higher concentrations of coliforms, but E. coli isolates from conventional samples were more frequently resistant to at least one antimicrobial.
• The study 4 found that organic chicken was statistically indistinguishable from conventional products in terms of the frequency of antibiotic-resistant E. coli.

Farming System and Chicken Strain

• A study 6 used shotgun proteomics to characterize and identify candidate protein biomarkers of authenticity in post-mortem chicken muscles produced under organic and non-organic farming systems, and found significant differences in the muscle proteome between two chicken strains.
• The study 5 found that organic methods can be associated with lower initial Campylobacter levels than conventional methods, although appropriate processing interventions result in similar Campylobacter populations post-chill, regardless of processing method.

Health Implications

• The studies suggest that consuming chicken from Costco or Sam's Club may pose health risks due to the potential presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and enteric pathogens, regardless of whether the chicken is labeled as organic or conventional 2, 3, 4, 5.
• However, it is essential to note that the studies did not specifically investigate chicken from Costco or Sam's Club, and more research is needed to determine the health implications of consuming chicken from these retailers.