Researchers Report Widespread Meat Contamination

SN STAFF

PHOENIX — Researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, a nonprofit biomedical research center here, have reported that antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — the bacteria that causes staph infections—was found on 47% of all meat and poultry sampled in a recent study.

The study analyzed 136 samples of beef, chicken, pork and turkey from 26 supermarkets in five cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Flagstaff, Ariz. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

In a release announcing the results, the study’s authors acknowledged that the bacteria would be killed by normal cooking, but said their findings did raise concerns regarding the use of sub-therapeutic antibiotics in food-animal production. The American Meat Institute noted in a statement that staph infections account for less than 1% of all food-borne illnesses.