Pork products in UK supermarkets contaminated with MRSA strain

Pork sold at UK supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Asda, the Co-operative and Tesco, have been found to be laced with a strain of the superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The bacteria CC398 that is a variant of the MRSA found in hospitals is linked to the overuse of antibiotics in factories. It is quite prevalent in various European factories, specially Denmark.

The contamination was exposed by a test carried out by the Guardian. Out of the 100 tested packets of pork chops, bacon and gammon, eight Danish and one Irish sample were found to contain the CC398 bacteria.

Infection from the bacteria found in meat can spread by touching infected meat products or coming into contact with contaminated livestock or people. However, proper cooking can kill it.

While many people were said to be carrying the infection without showing any symptoms of illness, some have developed skin complaints. The superbug can also develop into more threatening infections like pneumonia and blood poisoning.

Reacting on the scandal, transparency specialist Trace One’s executive vice-president Shaun Bossons said: "This latest scare poses a much greater risk to public health than the horsemeat crisis. While horsemeat is essentially harmless, we are well aware of the dangers MRSA presents. Food scares such as this are, to some degree, inevitable. The sheer scale of the modern supply chain, coupled with the unpredictability of infection and human scruples and behaviour, means that that there is always an opportunity for superbugs to enter the food chain.

"While retailers cannot be blamed for the initial contamination, they can ensure that potentially dangerous products are removed from shelves to prevent harm to customers, and track the infected ingredients through their supply chain to identify and isolate those suppliers at fault."