How can I tell if chicken meat I bought at the grocery store has Salmonella? – Nathan N, AB

Hi Nathan, thanks for your question. Like humans, chickens have different kinds of naturally occurring bacteria in their gut. In chickens, one of those types of bacteria is called Salmonella. People who eat food contaminated by certain strains of Salmonella can become ill with salmonellosis—although, not all Salmonella will make you sick. Poultry processing plants do a lot of work to prevent Salmonella contamination of chicken meat, but nothing can ever be 100 per cent effective. Luckily, any Salmonella bacteria that might have transferred onto raw chicken meat is killed when chicken is cooked properly. You can find more information on Salmonella and salmonellosis on the Public Heath Agency of Canada’s website. For resources on preparing, cooking and storing chicken safely, check out our easy guide to Chicken and Food Safety, and browse our Chicken School for more food safety information.