Britain's supermarkets accused of BLOCKING efforts to tackle KILLER bug in chickens
BRITAIN'S major supermarkets are blocking a watchdog's bid to reduce the number of chickens found with a LETHAL bug, it has been claimed.
Supermarkets are not helping a watchdog's campaign to reduce the number of chickens found with a lethal bug, it has been claimed.
The Food Standards Agency estimates 19per cent of chickens in Britain's stores are infected with dangerously high levels of campylobacter, which makes up to 280,000 people ill each year and kills around 100.
The likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose have failed to hand over research on how widespread the bug is, says the FSA. Only Marks and Spencer has shared figures with the watchdog, while the Co-op has recently held talks with it on the issue.
Catherine Brown would know her officials are meeting experts from the major retailers regularly
Chief executive of the FSA, Catherine Brown, revealed supermarkets had "pushed back" on providing information. She was responding to a comment from board member at the FSA, Professor Paul Wiles, who said the response from leading shops was "not acceptable".
The group launched a campaign on campylobacter last year in the hopes that, with support of the top stores, it can reduce the amount of chickens with dangerous levels of the bacteria to below 10per cent by the end of the year.
Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium told the Daily Mail he was surprised to hear Ms Brown's comments. Supermarkets maintain they are working with the FSA.
"As Catherine Brown would know her officials are meeting experts from the major retailers regularly through the Acting on Campylobacter Together campaign," said Mr Opie. "This is when we share details of progress in the various pilots we are sponsoring."
Research by the FSA in 2014 found up to 79per cent of chickens in supermarkets had some levels of campylobacter.
