More than half of ground turkey samples are contaminated with fecal bacteria, according to a new study from Consumer Reports. In addition, the magazine found that more than 90 percent of the ground turkey samples it tested contained at least one of the five bacteria the test was looking for — salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, enterococcus and campylobacter (though no campylobacter was found). The test covered 257 retail samples from 21 states and 27 different brands, all purchased in retail stores.
Sixty-nine percent of the ground turkey samples tested by Consumer Reports contained enterococcus, and 60 percent harbored E. coli — both of which are associated with fecal contamination. Some of the bacteria found in the tested samples can cause food poisoning, as well as urinary, bloodstream and other infections.
Industry groups were quick to attack the Consumer Reports findings. The National Turkey Federation refuted the study as “alarmist” in a press release on Tuesday.
“The magazine reported high levels of certain pathogens on the samples tested, but it is important to note that the two most prevalent, enterococcus and generic E.coli, are not considered sources of foodborne illness,” the federation wrote.
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