Two-thirds of chicken sold in British supermarkets 'infected with E.coli'

Two-thirds of the fresh chicken sold in British supermarkets is contaminated with E.coli, a government study has claimed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) took samples from major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons for its report.

It found that 78 per cent of the chicken sold in supermarkets in England was contaminated with the superbug.

In Scotland, the contamination rate was 53 per cent, while in Wales the figure was 41 per cent.

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While the type of E.coli found in the chicken is not the O157 strain which causes food poisoning, it can remain in the gut for several years and make people resistant to antibiotics when they do have an infection.

The Daily Mail reported that the Defra samples came from supermarkets, convenience stores and butchers, and that 80 per cent of the chicken was labelled as being of UK origin.

Health campaigners said the use of antibiotics on chicks to protect them from bugs was to blame for the emergence of E.coli, which mutates to develop resistance to the drugs.

Dr Mark Holmes, senior lecturer in preventive veterinary medicine, said: “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 are working with suppliers to minimise the prevalence of all bacteria, but customers still need to be mindful of the importance of safe handling and cooking of raw meat at home.

“We’ve been crystal clear in saying that antibiotics must be used responsibly.”

Figures released by the government last week revealed that sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK are at a four-year low.