Two-thirds of fresh chicken sold in British supermarkets are contaminated with E.coli, a new study claims. Contamination levels are much higher than previously thought and could be a threat to public health.
The investigation found 78 per cent of the fresh chicken sold in high streets in England was positive for an antibiotic-resistant strain of E.coli.
In Scotland the figure is 53 per cent, with levels of up to 41 per cent in Wales.
The strain of the infectious bug could be more difficult to treat because it has developed some resistance to antibiotics.
It is not the O157 strain which causes food poisoning, vomiting and diarrhoea. But health experts fear it could stay in the gut for years and if someone later develops an infection, the bug can make them resistant to vital antibiotics, known as cephalosporins.
A previous study carried out by the University of Cambridge found one in four samples was contaminated.
But this most recent government study – carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Public Health England – found the scale of the infection was much higher.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda were among the major supermarkets where samples where taken for the study.
Campaigners claim the high rate is due to chicks being given antibiotics to stop them contracting bugs, with E-coli mutating over several decades to build up resistance.
Dr Mark Holmes, reader in microbial genomics and veterinary science at Cambridge University, told the Daily Mail: “People do get food poisoning and every time someone falls ill, instead of just getting a food poisoning bug they might also be getting a bug that is antibiotic-resistant.
“If they end up developing sepsis or a urinary tract infection they may well find they have a bug that is resistant to the first-choice antibiotic.
"By the time they get on to the right antibiotic the bug could be out of control. It can even lead to death."
Andrew Opie, director of food at the British Retail Consortium, said: “We've been crystal clear in saying that antibiotics must be used responsibly.
“Retailers do not support the routine preventive use of antibiotics where such disease challenges can be prevented by better husbandry and farm management.”
A government spokesman said: “This study by Public Health England concluded that this type of E. coli does not represent a major public health risk in the UK – a view supported by the Food Standards Agency.
“As ever, cooking meat properly kills all bacteria, whether or not it is resistant to antibiotics.
“We take both food safety and antibiotic resistance very seriously. This is why we support the work of the FSA to make sure our food is safe, and why we are working with countries around the world to reduce antibiotic use in people and animals.”
The spokesman also said sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK are at a four-year low, dropping 10% between 2014 and 2015.