WASHINGTON – A bacteria that kills more people than AIDS is lurking in the meat aisle in grocery stores around the United States.
A 2011 study found that half of sampled meat sold in supermarkets contained staph infection bacteria, including the potentially deadly MRSA, Yahoo! Health reports. Turkey products were the mostly likely to contain staph, followed by pork and chicken.
One precautionary tip is to go for antibiotic-free meat from local farmers. Farmers that use smaller processors also offer less of a chance for meat to mingle and become contaminated, Yahoo! says.
Going organic is a good tip when purchasing chicken. Citing a 2012 Johns Hopkins study, Yahoo! Health reports researchers found traces of painkillers, allergy meds and antidepressants in chickens’ feathers – meaning those items were ingested.
Chickens are also given caffeine to keep them awake and breeding.
To learn more about what’s lingering in meat, grab the hand sanitizer and visit Yahoo! Health.
WTOP’s Veronica Robinson contributed to this report. Follow @VRobWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.
