Dear Editor,Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are rapidly expanding groups of enzymes that can hydrolyse the majority of beta-lactam antibiotics with the exception of carbapenems, and are inhibited by clavulanic acid. 1 They are commonly found on plasmids, which are extra-chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that can transfer between bacteria. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaeceae (ESBL-E) frequently cause infections in Singapore hospitals, and have increased rapidly since the 1990s to approximately 20% and 35% of all Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) clinical isolates respectively. 2 ESBL-E carriage and infection rates in the community setting have increased globally since the 1990s. 3 In Singapore, 6.3% of emergency department attendees in 2006 with no previous healthcare contact were ESBL-E carriers-unfortunately, there has been no follow-up study. 4 It is postulated that the rise in community-associated ESBL-E carriage and infection rates is due to cross-species transmission from food-producing animals, particularly poultry. 3,5,6 Numerous studies have shown high rates of ESBL-E in chickens around the world. 3,[6][7][8] Citing the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), a 2013 news report stated that Singapore imported approximately 500 tons of chicken a day, of which 78.8% came from Brazil (205 tons) and Malaysia (189 tons). 9 We performed a cross-sectional survey on 26 chicken breast samples over a period of 4 months (May 2015 to August 2015) in an attempt to determine the prevalence of ESBL-E in chicken meat in Singapore, and to determine if there was a difference in ESBL-E carriage between raw and commercially cooked chicken.Raw chilled and frozen meat were obtained from various wet markets, supermarkets, and online shops (n = 19), whereas cooked samples were obtained from fast food restaurants and hawker centres (n = 7). Samples were labelled as "antibiotic-free" if this was indicated on the packaging. The country of origin was obtained from the packaging label, or from the seller in the case of wet market samples.Samples were processed under aseptic conditions within 4 hours of collection. Approximately 25 grams of breast Annals Academy of Medicine