Whole Foods' Private-Label Chicken Linked to Salmonella-Prone Plants

Whole Foods' private-label "365" chicken is being sold from processing plants that have experienced significant salmonella contamination, according to an investigation by the animal advocacy group Farm Forward. The report claims that the chicken, marketed by the Amazon-owned grocery chain as antibiotic and hormone-free and humanely raised, originates from Perdue Farms facilities that also supply other major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Kroger.

Farm Forward's analysis of 247 raw chicken packages across 30 Whole Foods stores found that 92% were processed at Perdue plants. Further examination of USDA records indicated that 98% of this chicken came from plants where a virulent strain of salmonella was present in raw meat over the past year. The organization also noted that the implicated Perdue facilities showed high rates of antibiotic and multi-drug resistance in detected salmonella strains, despite stated policies from both Perdue and Whole Foods against antibiotic use.

According to the report, Whole Foods charges a premium for its 365 brand chicken, with prices ranging from nearly 20% to as much as 45.7% higher per pound compared to mainstream grocery chains. This pricing strategy is in place even though the chicken is processed in the same Perdue facilities that supply other retailers.

While salmonella contamination is not uncommon in raw chicken, the presence of drug-resistant strains poses a greater risk, potentially making infections harder to treat. The investigation highlighted that three of the six Perdue slaughter plants involved failed to meet the government's standard for salmonella contamination in the past year. Although the USDA conducts inspections, it does not have the authority to prevent the sale of poultry infected with salmonella. Farm Forward executive director Andrew deCoriolis stated that the poultry industry has historically lobbied against stricter regulations, leading to chicken being among the most contaminated meats in America.

This finding follows a similar investigation by Farm Forward earlier this year into Costco's Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken, which also identified high rates of salmonella contamination at the Nebraska processing plant. Costco is currently facing a proposed class-action lawsuit related to these alleged safety issues. Whole Foods and Perdue did not immediately respond to requests for comment.