Supermarkets are blocking efforts to tackle a deadly bug found in chicken , a watchdog declared last night . The Food Standards Agency has found that up to 79 per cent of raw birds on sale are contaminated with campylobacter – the country ’ s most common cause of food poisoning . Levels are dangerously high in 19 per cent of chickens and the agency has demanded this figure should be below 10 per cent by year ’ s end . Tests last month revealed 73 per cent of chickens in supermarkets contained potentially lethal food poisoning bug campylobacter , which makes 280,000 people ill every year . It says however that Asda , Tesco , Sainsbury ’ s , Morrisons , Waitrose and the Co-op are failing to help . Only Marks & Spencer is giving updates on its plans and progress in tackling campylobacter . Professor Paul Wiles of the FSA said the industry ’ s response had been ‘ unacceptable ’ . Chief executive Catherine Brown said supermarkets had ‘ pushed back ’ against providing information and claimed the stores were unhappy over the FSA ’ s publication of campylobacter league tables . Experts fear the stand-off will make it more difficult to tackle a bug that hits an estimated 280,000 people every year , killing 100 . Campylobacter also costs £900million in terms of NHS treatment and in lost productivity due to victims being too sick to work . To date , only M & S has given the FSA details of its comprehensive plan to tackle campylobacter , which involves changes on farms and in slaughterhouses . To date , only Marks & Spencer has given the FSA details of its comprehensive plan to tackle campylobacter , which involves changes on farms and in slaughterhouses . Miss Brown said this had helped meet the 10 per cent target , adding : ‘ This is great news – demonstrating that when businesses attack campylobacter with real focus , they can make a difference. ’ Professor Wiles , who was previously chief scientific adviser to the Home Office , condemned the other firms ’ refusal to detail what they were doing : ‘ In terms of the scientific evidence and how to reduce campylobacter that is not acceptable. ’ In the agency ’ s research , which looked at raw roasting chickens bought in 2014 , Asda came out worst on virtually every measure . It had a contamination rate of 78.9 per cent , with 31.1 per cent at the highest level . Morrisons was second with a total contamination rate of 76.2 per cent and 22.9 per cent at high levels . Richard Lloyd , of the consumer group Which ? , said : ‘ People need reassurance that supermarkets are doing everything they can to make chicken safe. ’ Shamed supermarkets are refusing to give the FSA useful details of what they are doing to reduce levels of the potentially lethal bug and what success – if any – they are having . Lib Dem MP Andrew George , who campaigns on supermarket issues , said : ‘ I would have thought they would have learnt lessons . ' I would strongly urge supermarkets to reflect on what happened to each of their reputations as a result of the horsemeat scandal . ‘ It ’ s not directly related but it ’ s one that they should remember because you undermine consumer confidence. ’ Tory MP Andrew Percy said : ‘ The FSA are quite clear on campylobacter and this needs to be tackled . The supermarkets don ’ t have any excuse for not complying. ’ But Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium said : ‘ We are surprised to hear this . 'As Catherine Brown would know , her officials are meeting experts from the major retailers regularly through the Acting on Campylobacter Together campaign . 'This is when we share details of progress in the various pilots we are sponsoring. ’ The Co-op said it met the FSA last month to spell out its action plan . The other stores insisted they were co-operating .
Tests showed 80 per cent of supermarket shelves contained campylobacter . this bug makes many people ill every year and can cause death . Almost contamination in five birds was highly dangerous , FSA figures revealed . FSA told retailers it needed them to reduce number of contaminated birds . But official watchdog revealed today most stores failing to fully co - operate .