By Sean Poulter, The Daily Mail
- 78 per cent of fresh chicken sold in high streets in England had E.coli
- E.coli causes stomach upsets and, in some cases, fatalities
- It is implicated in more than 5,500 deaths a year in England alone
- This strain does not cause diarrhoea or vomiting
Two-thirds of the fresh chicken sold in British stores is contaminated with an E.coli superbug, according to experts.
The scale is far higher than previous studies have shown and points to a serious public health threat.
Some 78 per cent of fresh chicken sold in high streets in England was found to be positive for an antibiotic-resistant strain of E.coli. The figure was 53 per cent for Scotland and 41 per cent in Wales.
E.coli causes stomach upsets and, in some cases, fatalities. It is implicated in more than 5,500 deaths a year in England alone, and is associated with sepsis and urinary tract infections.
Danger zone: Two-thirds of fresh chicken in supermarkets is contaminated with E.coli
The strain of E.coli found in the supermarket chicken is not the O157 strain which causes food poisoning and is usually found in burgers. But while the antibiotic-resistant E.coli discovered in chicken does not cause diarrhoea or vomiting, it is feared it stays in the gut for years.
If someone later develops an infection, the bug can make them resistant to life-saving antibiotics, known as cephalosporins.
A small study carried out by the University of Cambridge earlier this year found that one in four samples of chicken bought from leading supermarkets was contaminated.
The most recent government study – carried out by experts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs department and Public Health England – was much bigger and found a much higher infection rate.
The samples were collected from major supermarkets, convenience stores and butchers, based on market share. These included the big four – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – and 80 per cent of the meat was labelled as being of UK origin.
Campaigners say the emergence of superbugs is the result of the heavy use of antibiotic medicines on farm animals, such as chickens, over decades. In the case of poultry, day-old chicks are effectively inoculated with antibiotics to protect them from bugs.
Some 78 per cent of fresh chicken sold in high streets in England was found to be positive for an antibiotic-resistant strain of E.coli (pictured)
However, bacteria such as E.coli has mutated to become resistant to them, so posing a threat to the human population.
Cóilín Nunan, of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, said the Government and the farming industry had failed to respond to warnings about the over-use of antibiotics.
‘For years the poultry industry was systematically injecting day-old chicks in breeding flocks with modern cephalosporins, despite these drugs being classified as critically important antibiotics in human medicine,’ he said.
‘This practice was in breach of an EU Directive, but although we alerted the Government in 2006, the official watchdog, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, refused to take any action.
‘The poultry industry says it has voluntarily stopped the practice in recent years, but incredibly the VMD still refuses to implement a clear ban on using these antibiotics in poultry. Unfortunately, we are still seeing the effects of the VMD’s inaction.’
The Government and food industry say consumers can protect themselves by handling chicken carefully and cooking it thoroughly. But Dr Mark Holmes, reader in microbial genomics and veterinary science at the University of Cambridge, says that is not good enough.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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.’
The country’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has sounded the alarm over the rise of superbugs resistant to antibiotic medicines.
Last week she said: ‘Drug-resistant infections are a global problem and the potential for human, animal and economic damage is devastating.
‘We need everyone to take action to prevent the spread of drug-resistant infections.
‘Inappropriate antibiotic use in the farming sector is known to contribute to the development of drug-resistant infections.’
Andrew Opie, director of food at the British Retail Consortium, which speaks for supermarkets, 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. Retailers do not support the routine preventive use of antibiotics where such disease challenges can be prevented by better husbandry and farm management.’
The Government released figures last week showing that sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK are at a four-year low. Sales for use in food-producing animals dropped 10 per cent, according to Defra.
Rural affairs and biosecurity minister Lord Gardiner said British farmers were leading the world in cutting back on the use of antibiotics.
He added: ‘Antibiotic resistance is the biggest threat to modern medicine and we must act now to help keep antibiotics effective for future generations. This report shows the hard work of our vets and farmers is already making a real impact.’
About the author Anthony Martinelli
Anthony Martinelli is the Editor and co-founder of TheVeganHerald.com. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog.com, a cannabis news and information website.
