Most people don’t know is that arsenic is naturally occurring and that it is an approved animal feed supplement. Chicken feeds are mostly prepared in specialized feed mills. They come under the jurisdiction of the Canada Feeds Act and are subject to government inspections. There is no advantage to the miller or to the farmer not to produce or use a quality feed. Before it is put on the market chicken meat is checked for quality, absence of disease and residues.

In Canada, trace amounts of arsenic, an approved animal feed supplement, may occasionally, but are not always, be included in some chicken feed to control intestinal parasites. After all, healthy birds are the only birds that can enter the food stream. If such supplements are used, they are usually only provided in the first part of a chicken’s growth cycle.

In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors for residue levels in poultry meat across Canada. No violations involving arsenic have been found.

More information can be found on the Health Canada website here:

From the site: Health Canada assesses any findings of elevated levels of arsenic in food on a case-by-case basis using the most current science available. When levels of arsenic deemed unsafe are found in food, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency take appropriate actions such as public recalls, product detention, and the establishment of maximum limits (standards).

Health Canada continues to conduct regular surveillance of chemicals such as arsenic in food. Health Canada also collaborates with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the food industry to ensure that any foods containing arsenic at levels hazardous to human health do not reach the consumer. Additionally, Health Canada continues to evaluate the human health risks associated with exposure to contaminants from food as new data and information become available.