Chicken And Ground Beef Are The Meats Most Likely To Make You Sick

ThinkProgress

A new report from the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI) reveals exactly which meat products pose the biggest threats to Americans. After analyzing more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness over 12 years, CSPI found that chicken and ground beef have caused more hospitalizations than any other meat, while chicken nuggets and sausage are the least likely to send you to the ER:

It’s no secret that the United States’ meat industry is rife with public health hazards. A recent report confirmed that more than half of the meat sold in the U.S. contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can end up being passed to humans. Foodborne illnesses sicken an estimated 48 million Americans each year — and the cost of treating all of those food poisoning cases works out to be about $152 billion per year.

Nonetheless, government cuts to food safety programs continue to hamper the regulatory efforts of agencies like the USDA and the FDA. And in states across the country, “ag gag” laws suppress activists and journalists from bringing more information to light about the food industry’s unsafe practices.