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Improperly Cooked Chicken Can Cause Major Health Problems
A simple meal of chicken could cause serious health problems.

Leighton Kunkle knows that firsthand. He now has nerve damage in his hands and feet from Guillain-Barré syndrome. That's a side effect of food poisoning caused by the bacteria campylobacter. Kunkle said he believes he got sick from eating undercooked chicken in a restaurant.

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Related: Consumer Reports Information About Chicken

"I spent the next few months in the hospital, in ICU, sitting there paralyzed from the neck down -- had to learn how to walk again, eat again, talk again" said Kunkle.

Consumer Reports tested chicken purchased nationwide to see if it contained campylobacter or salmonella, the two leading bacterial causes of food poisoning. According to government figures, the bacteria sickens about 3.5 million Americans a year and kills more than 700.

They tested 525 fresh whole broilers from the top-selling brands -- Foster Farms, Perdue, Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson -- as well as 22 premium brands labeled "USDA organic" or "raised without antibiotics."

"We found that only 17 percent of the chicken we tested was free of both salmonella and campylobacter," said Consumer Reports tester Geoff Martin. "And overall, premium brands were a little more likely to carry salmonella."

The tests revealed an even bigger worry -- often, the bacteria were resistant to one or more antibiotics.

"That means if you get sick, some antibiotics might not work," Martin said.

The bottom line is that consumers have to protect themselves. That can be done by cooking chicken thoroughly. It should reach at least 165 degrees to kill any bacteria.

Besides being careful about how chicken is cooked, consumers also have to be very careful about how it's handled when it's raw. Consumers should make it one of the last items picked up before checkout at the grocery store. They should also make sure it's well-wrapped and put it in a plastic bag to keep juices from leaking onto other food.

Chicken should be stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees or lower. And if it's not used within a couple of days, it should be frozen it. And again, chicken should be cooked so the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.

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Copyright ©2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. All rights reserved.