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Britain’s seven major supermarket chains have been told by the national Food Standards Agency that they should review and improve the way they buy poultry, after a survey reported finding campylobacter bacteria in 65% of samples of chicken in UK retail stores. Supermarket executives from Asda, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitress have received a letter from the agency asking for the retailers’ cooperation to reduce the level of campylobacter in chickens sold to levels found in other countries.
The agency is already working with British processors on improvements to plant hygiene and biosecurity measures and on possible packaging solutions, such as modified atmosphere packaging. It will host a conference in March to look at further options for the post-processing treatment of birds and meat.
The agency is also part of a campylobacter joint working group with representatives from retailers and the poultry industry.
Recently, the European Food Safety Authority stated that 20% to 30% of human cases of campylobacteriosis in the European Union may be due to bacteria picked up from broiler meat.