June 9, 2011

US FDA discovers arsenic in chicken meat

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says some chicken meat may contain amounts of arsenic, though the agency stresses that the amount is too small to be dangerous to people when consumed.

The FDA said on Wednesday (June 8) that a new study developed by the agency showed that an ingredient in chicken feed contained arsenic, called Roxarsone, which may make its way into parts of the bird that can be consumed. Previous studies have indicated that the arsenic was eliminated with chicken waste.

Pfizer Inc., which makes the feed ingredient, said that it will remove it from the market in the US. FDA said it would be banned because it is a carcinogen. Many poultry producers have already stopped feeding their birds the ingredient, which was used to kill parasites and promote growth.

The FDA said that people should not stop eating chicken that may have been treated with the drug. Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, said the study raised concerns of a very low but completely avoidable exposure to a carcinogen.

Pfizer said that its subsidiary, Alpharma LLC, is suspending sales next month in response to the FDA findings. The company said it is not withdrawing the ingredient immediately so producers have time to transition their birds off the drug.

In a study of 100 chickens, the FDA found that chickens that had eaten the Roxarsone had higher levels of inorganic arsenic, as opposed to organic arsenic, which is naturally occurring in their liver. Inorganic arsenic is more toxic than the naturally occurring form.

Roxarsone has long been a concern for environmental groups worried about its presence in chicken waste and the resulting effects on human health in areas with high chicken production. Maryland state lawmakers have attempted to enforce a ban in that state, saying the arsenic ends up in the Chesapeake Bay.