Consumer Reports Found Plastic-Related Chemicals in Rotisserie Chicken From 9 of 10 Retailers Tested
A Consumer Reports investigation found phthalates in rotisserie chicken meat from nine of 10 retail chains it tested, while phthalates were detected in packaging from all 10 retailers.
The findings were published in a Consumer Reports article updated June 23, 2026, and appeared in its July/August 2026 issue. This was a testing report, not a recall or a newly released November finding.
The results also varied by retailer, making it important to look at exactly what Consumer Reports tested rather than treating the findings as proof that every rotisserie chicken from these chains contains the same chemicals or concentrations.
Which retailers were tested?
Consumer Reports tested rotisserie chickens from BJ’s Wholesale Club, Costco, Hannaford, Sam’s Club, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market, Walmart, Wegmans and Whole Foods Market.
The products included several retailer-specific chickens. Examples included Wellsley Farms Whole Rotisserie Chicken from BJ’s, Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken from Costco, Member’s Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken from Sam’s Club, and Bowl & Basket All-Natural Whole Rotisserie Chicken from ShopRite.
Consumer Reports said secret shoppers bought chickens from as many as three locations per chain on different days. The chickens were then taken immediately to its laboratory for testing.
That means the results represent the products and locations included in the testing. They do not amount to an examination of every store or every rotisserie chicken sold by the 10 chains.
Phthalates were found in the meat from nine retailers
Phthalates were the main finding involving the chicken itself.
Consumer Reports said phthalates were detected in meat from every tested retailer except ShopRite. In its report, the organization summarized the finding by saying, “Phthalates were a different story; we found them in all of the packaging and in the meat from all of the chickens except ShopRite’s.”
Costco and Walmart had the highest reported amounts of DEHP, a specific type of phthalate, among the tested chicken meat.
Consumer Reports said the results for the other retailers were well below its level of concern. That is Consumer Reports’ assessment of its test results, not a statement about an FDA legal limit.
The organization also said the Costco and Walmart DEHP results were substantially lower than levels it had previously measured in some other foods, including raw ground chicken tested in 2023.
The packaging produced a different set of findings
Phthalates were detected in packaging from all 10 retailers tested.
Consumer Reports also looked for bisphenols, and those results were limited to packaging rather than the chicken meat. Bisphenols were detected in packaging from Hannaford, Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market, Wegmans and Whole Foods Market.
None of the tested chicken meat contained detected bisphenols.
Four of those retailers—Hannaford, Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods—had packaging carrying BPA-free claims. Wegmans’ packaging did not carry that claim.
Consumer Reports also detected bisphenol S in packaging from Stop & Shop and The Fresh Market.
This distinction matters because a chemical detected in packaging is not the same finding as a chemical detected in the food. Consumer Reports’ testing identified both types of results, and the report should not be read as saying that every substance found in packaging was also found in the chicken.
PFAS were not detected
Consumer Reports also tested for PFAS.
It reported that PFAS were not detected in the tested chicken meat or packaging.
That wording is important. “Not detected” describes the result of the testing; it does not mean that every possible sample of chicken or packaging from these retailers has been established to contain none of these substances.
The report concerned plastic-related chemicals. It did not report pieces of plastic in the chicken or establish that the chickens contained microplastics.
The testing does not establish where the chemicals came from
The findings also do not establish that the packaging was the source of every phthalate detected in the meat.
Consumer Reports’ broader research identifies several potential routes by which phthalates can enter food, including processing equipment, tubing, conveyor belts, gloves, and environmental contamination.
That means the presence of phthalates in packaging and meat should be treated as separate findings unless the testing establishes a specific source.
The report also included responses from several retailers. Hannaford and Stop & Shop told Consumer Reports that suppliers confirmed no intentionally added BPA and that independent testing was being conducted. The Fresh Market cited third-party certification and regulatory compliance, while Whole Foods said BPA was not part of its bags’ material composition and that it was reviewing the packaging.
Those statements are company responses, not independent laboratory conclusions.
Walmart also provided a statement saying it works continuously with suppliers to review and ensure its standards are met.
What shoppers can take from the report
The practical takeaway is to keep the scope of the testing in mind.
If you shop at BJ’s, Costco, Hannaford, Sam’s Club, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market, Walmart, Wegmans or Whole Foods, your retailer may have been represented in the Consumer Reports testing. But the findings do not establish that every branch or every rotisserie chicken from those chains would produce identical results.
Consumer Reports also recommends moving rotisserie chicken out of its plastic packaging and into a covered container for refrigeration. It recommends refrigerating the chicken within two hours and avoiding reheating it in the original packaging. For leftovers, the organization recommends glass containers for storage and reheating.
Those recommendations do not establish that transferring chicken to another container removes chemicals that may already be present.
The larger point is simple: the report found different substances in different parts of the tested products, with phthalates detected in the meat from nine retailers and in packaging from all 10. ShopRite was the exception for phthalates detected in the tested meat, while bisphenols appeared in packaging from five retailers, and PFAS were not detected in the tested meat or packaging.
