Page 26 - Barbecue Chicken Made Easy

Obviously the inspectors cannot see bacteria. Research shows that about two-thirds of modern poultry is contaminated with Salmonella, Campylobacter, or some other pathogenic bacteria. One research project by Consumer Reports found 97% had pathogens and half of them had antibiotic resistant bacteria. But not to worry. Cooking kills bacteria. If you cook poultry properly, you are perfectly safe.
How do so many birds get so yucky? Pathogens are in the soil and in the air. Even in your home. They are everywhere. But there are a lot more on a farm or in a chicken coop. Even free range and organic birds are easily contaminated because they scratch and peck in dirt and grass that is teeming with bacteria, and because they eat insects, worms, larvae, seeds, etc. They often step in each other's poop and they peck in it, especially in crowded henhouses. You can't prevent it unless you put them in diapers.
Most poultry is grown by “independent” farmers who work under contract to big brand marketers like Perdue or Butterball. They are highly competitive because they know that we shop for bargains so the big brands use efficient, inexpensive, mass production factory farming methods. These concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are designed to deliver low priced big breasted birds grown to market size in a hurry. Birds are then processed in slaughterhouses and high-speed disassembly lines. During the process, poop can get on the skin of the birds, on the gloves of the workers, on the conveyor belts, and in the water baths that are used to remove feathers and rinse the meat. It is practically impossible to prevent contamination, and, yes, it happens on small organic farms, too.
That’s why you should handle raw chicken like kryptonite. For safety when handling chicken at home, thoroughly wash your hands, tools, counter tops, cutting boards, sink, platters, and anything that contacts uncooked poultry. The best solution, pun