December 1, 2014

UK shames stores selling campybacter-infected chicken

The UK's Food and Standards Agency (FSA), in a name and shame campaign aimed at improving public health, has disclosed the names of big markets and stores that sell chicken infected with the potentially toxic campylobacter bacteria, which can cause food poisoning.

The FSA said Asda was found to have the highest rate of contamination with 78% of tested chickens infected, of which 28% were at the highest levels. Co-op had the second-highest rate, followed by Morrison's, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Marks & Spencer was second-worst in terms of highest levels of infection, according to the FSA.

FSA said Tesco had the lowest rate of infection at 64%, with 11% at the highest levels.

It said seven out of 10 chickens sold in the UK were infected, affecting some 280,000 people. An average of 100 people die each year from campylobacter, making it the deadliest form of food poisoning.

The FSA tests were conducted during a six-month period between February and August on 1,995 fresh shop-bought chickens. The tests found 70% were positive for campylobacter, with 18% having the "highest levels of contamination".

The FSA said there is no safe minimum level of campylobacter infection. It advised people not to wash whole chickens before cooking them, and to cook them thoroughly to kill campylobacter.

FSA's director of policy, Steve Wearne, said the levels of campylobacter "have been far too high for a long time and they need to come down".

Marks & Spencer and its supplier 2 Sisters Food Group said they have developed a plan to reduce campylobacter, while Asda said it has installed steam cleaning of birds at its supplier, Faccenda.