The problem is that chicken that is not certified organic may have arsenic in it. Arsenic is a known carcinogen which means that it can cause cancer. The amount of arsenic is not enough to kill you but it is troubling to think about a dangerous chemical being present in your chicken. Some experts say that no level of arsenic is safe. Furthermore, arsenic is present in water also.

The problem is that the chicken industry is in the business to maximize profits and in a capitalistic society we cannot blame them. So, they add this chemical arsenic to reduce the amount of parasitic infections and to promote growth in chickens. The more dead parasitic ridden chicken and the skinnier the chickens less money for the industry.

Currently, the FDA allows 500 parts per billion of arsenic in chicken. These guidelines were put in place decades ago. The troubling part of all this is that the amount of chicken consumption has skyrocketed. According to a Foodreference.com chart, the amount of chicken consumption has exploded.

U.S. PER CAPITA CHICKEN CONSUMPTION

*estimates or forcasts
Source: ERS/USDA

Look at that explosion of chicken consumption. Where is the FDA in revising the standards? So, people are eating more of the arsenic and the levels from the FDA have not changed. As more and more toxins such as arsenic are accumulating in our bodies, no wonder cancer cases are increasing.

So what can we do? So, we have two choices either we need to eat certified organic chicken or not eat chicken at all. I am with the camp that will go for the certified organic chicken. Fast food places are all out to maximize profits so we know that most of them will have levels of arsenic in them. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy did a study in 2006, and found that Foster Farms, Gold’n Plump, Perdue, Tyson Foods, Smart Chicken and Trader Joe’s. The Trader Joe’s entry surprised me but you need to do your research simply because its from Trader Joe’s does not mean all of the items sold there are completely safe.

Please purchase certified organic chicken. Organic chicken does not contain arsenic. Studies conducted failed to show levels of arsenic in chicken. Don’t buy into the hype. Many in the chicken industry will be devious in their marketing. If you go on goldnplump.com, the company’s main line is “All Natural Chicken”. I do not consider arsenic natural in chicken.

Do your homework. Look for the certified organic stamp or read online about the brand of chicken you are going to purchase. Feel free in the comments section below to discuss what you have found searching the internet about specific companies and their arsenic practices.

ShareThis