Chicken and Arsenic?
Believe it or not, there are both organic (naturally occurring) and non organic types of arsenic. Although both can be toxic at certain levels, the non-natural, or non-organic form of arsenic is much more toxic to the human body.
The problem is, many chickens today are given feed that contains a chemical called Roxarsone, which contains inorganic arsenic, and can cause the meat of a chicken to have levels of arsenic in them, which the FDA says are not dangerous levels to the human body, but it is still cause for concern for some consumer groups who say it has no business in our meats at all.
I, for one, agree. Arsenic, if it can be avoided, is a substance that should not be fed to the animals that we raise as meat for consumption. I would certainly hope that organically farmed chicken does not use this type of chicken feed, but you never know.
Chickens were tested and the inorganic form of arsenic was found in the meat, which is cause for concern definitely. The type of feed that contains the arsenic has been banned in some states, but other states have largely ignored it.
Arsenic is not only poisonous to the human body, and can cause death in large concentrations, but it is a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent) as well, and should never be in our foods.