Lidl has hit back at claims by an animal welfare group who said half of the supermarket’s fresh chicken products they tested contained E.coli, Listeria and antibiotic ‘superbugs’.
According to campaign group Open Cages, two strains of multi-resistant bacteria, ESBL and MRA, were found in products tested in five Lidl stores.
Of the 40 fresh products tested, 58% were found to contain the superbugs MRSA and ESBL.
E.coli was also found in 47.5% of products, and Listeria was found in 30% of products tested.
Lidl quickly argued that this was a ‘very small, controlled sample tested outside UK guidelines’ and that there was no risk to public health.
But experts still believe that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria can make the treatment ineffective.
Timothy Walsh, professor of medical microbiology and antibiotic resistance at the University of Oxford, said: ‘People can become ill from processing and consuming contaminated meat, and the use of human antibiotics in animal production can have a profound long-term effect on human health. effectiveness of antibiotics to treat human infections.’
MRSA can cause serious infections and lead to painful and swollen skin, high temperature and breathing difficulties.
ESBL usually infects the intestines and urinary tract.
Lidl said: ‘Food safety is a priority for our company and all products are subject to extensive quality checks throughout the supply chain.
‘We work closely with our suppliers and a wide range of industrial partners, aligning our policies with the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (Ruma) and the Food Industry Initiative on Antimbiotics (FIIA) to ensure responsible and Ruma-recommended use of antibiotics. while ensuring animal welfare remains a priority.
‘Our own testing shows that there have been no micro-related deviations outside legal levels over the past 12 months, and no concerns have been raised to us on this subject by regulatory bodies.
‘It is therefore clear and deeply concerning that Open Cages continues to spread false and inaccurate information, with the clear aim of attracting media attention and misleading both fearmongers and the public.
‘If Open Cages has genuine and verified concerns about the presence of pathogens in fresh British chicken, we encourage the company to work with verified sources and share its full findings with ourselves or the FSA for further investigation.’
All forty products tested by Open Cages were sold in five stores in Manchester, Birmingham and London and marketed under the chicken brand ‘Birchwood British’.
Samples include whole roast chickens, thighs, drumsticks and breast meat.
They were then sent by the campaign group to a laboratory in Germany for testing.
The Open Cages report does not include the full test results of each item, including the levels of pathogens reportedly present and whether they are outside legal limits.
They also do not provide details about when the products were tested and the chicken’s expiration dates.
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