In March 1998, Consumer Reports Magazine found that 71 percent of the chickens they purchased at retail were contaminated with disease causing bacteria. Despite the high rates of contamination and illness, USDA ignored studies showing a immersion chilling increases carcass contamination. Instead, the Department's proposal presumes this method, favored by poultry processors, will be the only one used. However, in the European Union and Canada, poultry carcasses are cooled with air or a combination of air and water spray. USDA refused to even consider those methods even though they may be both safer and fairer.
New research shows they are just as effective as immersion chilling.
Not surprisingly, red meat processors have now asked USDA to allow them to add water to beef and hog carcasses in order to level the playing field. Until the data are collected, USDA should require that poultry chilled through immersion be drained of all added water before packaging and sale.