Tests have suggested that more than half of Lidl’s chicken is contaminated with potentially deadly drug-resistant ‘superbugs’.
The results showed that 23 of the 40 products analyzed were positive for MRSA and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), which are bacteria that no longer respond to antimicrobial treatment.
The diarrhoea-causing bug E. Coli was also found in 19 chickens bought from UK stores.
The retailer claimed it had not seen any “deviations outside legal levels” itself, with no concerns raised by regulators.
The results also do not indicate a specific health risk for consumers.
But animal welfare charities, which commissioned the research, today branded the results “unacceptable” and called on the poultry industry to reduce the use of antibiotics.
The results showed that 23 of the 40 products analyzed were positive for MRSA and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), which are bacteria that no longer respond to antimicrobial treatment. Diarrhea caused by the E. Coli bug was also reported in 19 chickens bought from UK stores
The retailer claimed it had not seen any “deviations outside legal levels” itself, with no concerns raised by regulators. Animal welfare charity Bur, which commissioned the research, today described the results as “unacceptable” and called on the poultry industry to reduce the use of antibiotics.
Timothy Walsh, professor of medical microbiology and antibiotic resistance at the University of Oxford, said: “The presence of multi-resistant bacteria in meat is a worrying trend and represents a serious public health problem.”
He added: “Poor animal welfare is one of the main catalysts for antibiotic use and subsequent antibiotic resistance.
“Improving animal welfare, such as adopting slower-growing breeds in line with the Better Chicken commitment, can significantly reduce the need to administer antibiotics to birds in the first place.
UK supermarkets have a responsibility and a duty to ensure that the meat they sell is safe for consumption and free from antibiotic-resistant pathogens.”
All 40 products purchased by campaign group Open Cages were sold across five stores in Manchester, Birmingham and London under Lidl’s flagship ‘Birchwood British’ chicken brand.
Samples included whole roast chickens, thigh wraps, drumsticks and breast meat.
It was then packed in cooler bags and sent by refrigerated truck to a laboratory in Germany.
Open Cages shares its name with MailOnline, but the lab asked not to be named for fear of criticism.
The researchers found that 12 products also contained listeria – which can cause fever, nausea and diarrhoea.
However, the report does not include the full test results from each lot of poultry, including the levels of pathogens allegedly present and whether they fall within or outside legal limits.
There were also no details on when the products were tested and the chicken’s use-by dates.
Connor Jackson, co-founder of Open Cages, which lobbies to end factory farming, said: “There is no specific benchmark for what is too high. But everyone agrees that it needs to be reduced.
“The point of these findings is that they are extremely high.”
He also told MailOnline: “This is a serious issue affecting public safety and animal welfare.
“If Lidl were to stop selling chicken as they have done in France and other European countries, it would make a huge difference to the health and well-being of their chickens.”
Drug-resistant infections kill an estimated 1.3 million people worldwide each year, with this number expected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken.
Multidrug-resistant bacteria can spread from animals to humans through the food chain, but due to trade sensitivities, data on levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food is not widely available.
However, antibiotic use in UK livestock has fallen in recent years, with sales down 59 per cent in 2022 compared to 2014.
“Free range” egg farms in Leeds, Powys and Leicestershire supply major supermarkets across the UK, including Sainsbury’s. Pictured are hens crammed into one of the sheds on a farm in Powys
In some cases, the appalling conditions caused the hens to become distressed, causing them to lose their feathers and exhibit behaviors towards each other, including bullying, aggressive pecking and even cannibalism. Pictured is a freezer full of dead chickens on a farm in Powys
The test results are unrelated to the recent recall of E. Coli supermarket sandwiches in which more than 200 Britons were affected by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a rare strain of the bug.
Lidl said the tests only included a small sample of raw, uncooked meat tested outside UK guidelines.
There is also little evidence that the cold chain remained intact during transport, he added.
A spokesperson for the supermarket told MailOnline: ‘Food safety is a priority for our business and all products are subject to extensive quality checks throughout the supply chain.
“We work closely with our suppliers and many industry partners and align our policies with the Alliance for the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (Ruma) and the Food Industry Initiative for Antimicrobials (FIIA) to ensure the responsible and Ruma-recommended use of antibiotics while ensuring welfare animal welfare remains a priority.
“Our own testing shows that there have been no micro-related deviations outside of legal levels over the last 12 months, and no regulatory authorities have raised any concerns with us on this topic.
“It is therefore evident and extremely worrying that Open Cages continues to spread false and inaccurate information, with the apparent aim of gaining media attention and both scaring and misleading the public.
“If Open Cages has any genuine and verified concerns regarding the presence of pathogens in fresh British chicken, we encourage it to work with verified sources and share its full findings with either us or the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for further investigation.”
It comes as five farms were stripped of their ‘RSPCA Assured’ status in March after an undercover investigation found the hens were living in ‘appalling’ conditions.
“Free range” egg farms in Leeds, Powys and Leicestershire supply major supermarkets across the UK, including Sainsbury’s.
Secretly filmed footage by the Animal Justice Project (AJP) revealed that tens of thousands of birds were living in dark and cramped sheds, surrounded by the bodies and skeletons of dead chickens.
In some cases, the appalling conditions caused the hens to become distressed, causing them to lose their feathers and exhibit behaviors towards each other, including bullying, aggressive pecking and even cannibalism.
The latest statistics show that the average Briton consumes 35kg of poultry a year.
To avoid food poisoning, people should make sure they cook chicken thoroughly, separate the meat from other foods, keep it in the fridge and wash their hands and utensils after handling raw meat, the FSA says.
The chicken also shouldn’t be washed because it could splash bacteria elsewhere in the kitchen, he added.