Campylobacter bacteria is the biggest cause of food poisoning in Britain and kills 100 people each year. The Food Standard Agency survey suggests that many supermarkets still continue to sell chicken heavily contaminated with the food poisoning bug.
The proportion of fresh chicken with the highest recorded level of contamination increased over the year-long testing programme. It increased from 17% in the first quarter to 21% in the fourth.
The survey showed that Asda had the worst record, with almost 30% of its chicken found to have more than 1,000 campylobacter bacteria per gram.
Morrisons came in next with the worst record at 22%, followed by Co-op at 19%.
Tesco had the best score, Morrisons had the next worst record at 22 per cent followed by Co-op at 19 per cent. Tesco had the best score, with just 12% of its chicken heavily contaminated in the year to February.
