Study raises concern over E coli in supermarket meat

Research by the University of Cambridge has identified the presence of antibiotic-resistant E coli in four samples of chicken bought from major supermarket chains.

The researchers identified the bacteria in packs of meat sold at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose, the Co-op and Morrisons. Commissioned by the campaign group Save Our Antibiotics, the study found 51 per cent of E coli from pork and poultry samples were resistant to the antibiotic trimethoprim.

The research involved analysing 189 chicken and pork samples.

Dr Mark Holmes, from the University of Cambridge, said: “The levels of resistant E coli that we have found are worrying. Every time someone falls ill, instead of just getting a food poisoning bug they might also be getting a bug that is antibiotic resistant.”

“I am concerned that insufficient resources are being put into the surveillance of antibiotic resistance in farm animals and retail meat. These results highlight the need for improvements in antibiotic stewardship in veterinary medicine.

Cóilín Nunan, a scientific adviser to Save Our Antibiotics, commented: “They show that many consumers are being exposed to high levels of antibiotic resistance daily at meal time. Scientific evidence is accumulating that the overuse of antibiotics on farms is an important contributor to antibiotic resistance in E coli infections.

“E coli is now killing more than twice as many people as MRSA and Clostridium difficile combined, so the price of any further inaction will be measured in human lives.”