Researchers have been given £4 million towards tackling campylobacter, the most common food poisoning bug in the UK. Experts will look at the bacteria’s prevalence in the food chain and study it, with the hope of controlling it; the bacteria is responsible for causing around 300,000 cases of food poisoning a year in England and Wales

Campylobacter is most commonly transferred to humans through poultry meat; infection is most common as a result of eating undercooked meat, or cross contamination in food preparation. The scientists behind the initiative, which is funded by BBSRC, the Food Standards Agency and Defra, say it will help strengthen the industry, which is worth an estimated £85 billion globally and £4b in the UK.

The BBSRC said the new project would bring together 12 independent projects and unite researchers from across scientific disciplines in examining the food poisoning bacteria from field to plate. As part of the investigation, researchers will attempt to identify the sources of the initial infection on farms and ‘weak points’ in the supply chain where there is a higher chance of eliminating the bacteria from the food chain.