The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found that 65 per cent of chicken on sale in Britain may carry the bug campylobacter, which is responsible for 55,000 cases of food poisoning in the UK every year.

A further 6 per cent of chickens were found to be carrying salmonella.

The Press Association reports that the figures have remained unchanged since the FSA’s last survey in 2001. Director of food safety at the FSA, Andrew Wadge, said the findings show more still needs to be done by the food industry to make food safer.

‘The continuing low levels of salmonella are encouraging, but it is disappointing that the levels of campylobacter remain high. It is obvious more needs to be done to get these levels down and we need to continue working with poultry producers and retailers to make this happen.

‘Other countries like New Zealand and Denmark have managed to do so, we need to emulate that progress in the UK.’

The FSA says other types of meat as well as unpasteurised milk and untreated water can carry campylobacter.

The bug can be prevented if chicken is cooked thoroughly, the FSA advises.

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