Golden Rod Broilers, Cullman, Ala.
P341 • Medium plant • Data from March 2021 to March 2022
Your likelihood of getting sick depends on many factors, including: how the poultry is cooked and handled; your immune system; and the quantity and types of salmonella present. “High-risk” salmonella strains are more likely to cause illness than “low-risk” types. According to the CDC, if you avoid cross-contamination and cook the poultry to 165°F, the meat should be safe to eat even if it had high-risk salmonella. Learn more about safe handling and cooking techniques from the CDC.
This plant met the USDA standard for whole chicken because salmonella was found in less than 9.8% of samples. In total, none of the whole chicken samples had salmonella of any type.
The USDA tested 55 whole chicken samples from this plant over the past year. The plant processed an estimated 1 million to 10 million pounds of meat and poultry in total each month.