Animal welfare groups and scientists have been concerned for years about the use of antibiotics to keep livestock healthy. They say it is leading to more bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobial drugs.
The campaign group Open Cages bought 40 chicken products from five branches of Lidl, which is the sixth biggest UK supermarket and Europe’s largest.
The meat, which ranged from whole chickens to drumsticks, thighs and breast fillets, was packed into cooler bags and sent by refrigerated lorry to a laboratory in Germany.
Twenty-three of the products tested positive for bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Those included the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can lead to serious infections if it gets inside the body, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL).
The tests also found that 19 of the products had E. coli, which is not a superbug but can lead to harmful infections depending on the strain and amounts.
The results do not imply a specific health risk for consumers but the public health authorities are concerned about the growth in antimicrobial resistance.
Connor Jackson, the co-founder of Open Cages, which is lobbying to end factory farming, said: “There is no specific benchmark on what is too high. But everybody agrees they need to be reduced. The point of these findings is they are extremely high.”
The tested meat ranged from whole chickens to drumsticks, thighs and breast fillets. Campaigners say the poultry industry should change to slower-growing breeds, which require fewer antibiotics
OPEN CAGES
Campaigners believe that the poultry industry should curb its use of antibiotics by switching to slower-growing chicken breeds, such as the Norfolk Black. In France, Lidl has committed to using slower-growing chickens.
None of the UK’s big six supermarkets, including Lidl, have signed up to a “better chicken commitment” with improved welfare standards. Only smaller chains, such as M&S and Waitrose, have backed the commitment.
Cóilín Nunan, the policy and science manager for Alliance to Save our Antibiotics, a coalition of animal welfare groups, said: “Fast-growing breeds of chickens should be phased out. They have much worse health and welfare and are more likely to need antibiotic treatments. It is completely unacceptable to be using life-saving medicines to prop up chicken farming with poor management practices.”
The Lidl chicken is sold under the Birchwood brand. Open Cages bought the meat from branches in Manchester, Birmingham and London. Between 24 and 30 products were also bought and tested in Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. Of the Spanish products, 71 per cent tested positive for superbugs, the highest share in the five countries.
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Use of antibiotics in British farm animals has fallen in recent years, with their sales down 59 per cent in 2022 compared with 2014.
Jackson said: “It is extremely surprising that the UK is the second highest for antibiotic resistance, higher than Poland. I think this completely contradicts what the UK industry says about having the highest animal welfare in the world.” He added that Lidl in the UK should follow its colleagues in France by adopting slower-growing breeds.
The test findings are not related to recent product recalls over E. coli.
Lidl said that the results involved a small, uncontrolled sample of meat that was tested outside UK guidelines. While the company noted the chicken was tested raw and the products were not intended to be consumed raw, experts are concerned about the spread of superbugs from food preparation and undercooked meat.
The supermarket was also critical of Open Cages for not naming the laboratory. The group has shared its name with The Times but the lab has asked not to be named for fear of criticism from the poultry industry, which it relies on for business.
A Lidl spokesperson said: “Food safety is a priority for our business and all products are subject to extensive quality controls throughout the supply chain. We work closely with our suppliers and a multitude of industry partners, aligning our policies with the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (Ruma) and the Food Industry Initiative on Antimicrobials (FIIA) to ensure the responsible and Ruma recommended use of antibiotics, while ensuring animal welfare remains a priority.
“Our own testing shows that in the last 12 months there have been no micro-related deviations outside of legal levels, and no concerns have been raised to us by any regulatory bodies on this topic.”