47 Percent of Supermarket Meat Contaminated with Staph

Gross but unfortunately true, according to a new study that came out last week. The study from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, reported on Grist has found that 47 percent of tested samples of supermarket meat and poultry were infected with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, better known as Staph. Fifty-two percent of which were found to be resistant to at least three antibiotic treatments. To be frank, we're talking a 1 in 4 chance of picking up tainted, drug resistant meat at the grocery store. Yuck.

According to NPR:

"For the first time, we know how much of our meat and poultry is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant Staph, and it is substantial," Lance B. Price, senior author of the study and director of TGen's Center for Food Microbiology and Environmental Health, said in a statement.

While Staph can usually be eliminated from meat by cooking it, much of the taste is cooked out as well. This seems to me to be all the more reason to go vegetarian to avoid the tainted meat risk altogether.

Just last week I reported on a drug resistant salmonella present in 55,000 pounds of turkey burger. The illnesses were reported in 10 states over the past four months, with 3 cases in Wisconsin, and 1 case each in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and Washington.

This strain resisted treatments from several antibiotics including ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cephalothin, and tetracycline.

What Should You Do To Reduce Your Risk?

Consider reducing your intake of meat as much as possible. When you do eat it, it should be for a special occasion. That means choosing high quality, organic meat from a local butcher that you know and trust. The key to reducing your risk is minimizing the supply chain as much as possible so that you know where your steak came from and where it's been.

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