Supermarkets try to block food watchdog namimg stores selling chicken contaminated with Campylobacter Campylobacter linked to 280,000 poisonings and up to 100 deaths a year Food Standards Agency found 60 per cent of chicken is contaminated It is due to publish details of the best and worst retailers this week By Sean Poulter For Mailonline Raw: Supermarkets are trying to stop food watchdogs publishing a 'name and shame' list of stores selling campylobacter-contaminated chicken Supermarkets have mounted a new attempt to stop food watchdogs publishing a "name and shame" list of stores selling chicken contaminated with a deadly bug. The bug involved, campylobacter, is associated with 280,000 food poisoning cases a year and as many as 100 deaths, making it one of the biggest threats to public health. Yet supermarkets and farmers have failed to eradicate the bug from farms and the meat reaching the high street and homes despite pleas from health experts dating back more than a decade. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been conducting a survey of fresh chicken and has found evidence that 60 per cent is carrying campylobacter. The organisation is due to publish the details as early as this week and will identify which of the major retailers - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, the Co-op, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer - have the best and worst contamination levels. The supermarkets are worried about a customer backlash and have been putting enormous pressure on the FSA not to name the stores involved by questioning whether the survey will produce reliable results. The chief executive of the FSA, Catherine Brown, has revealed that she recently received a letter from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which speaks for supermarkets, trying to kill plans to name the stores. The high pressure tactics are detailed in a paper written by Miss Brown which will be discussed by the FSA board at a meeting in London tomorrow. She wrote: "It is disappointing that the British Retail Consortium, which speaks on behalf of retailers, has written to us again pressing us not to release the results of the retail survey and seeking to call into question the validity of the sampling plan, which they were consulted about before the survey commenced." The consumer group Which? has urged the FSA not to give in to the bullyboy tactics, saying consumers have a right to know whether they are at risk from handling and eating chicken. The consumer group's executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: "The FSA must not bow to industry pressure but should keep their commitment to putting consumers' interests first by naming the worst performing shops for levels of campylobacter. Campylobacter is responsible for thousands of cases of food poisoning, and even deaths, each year so people have a right to know these results and which retailers are not performing well. Chickens on sale at Tesco Extra: Companies are working on methods that could reduce contamination levels The BRC said it was surprised at the FSA's reaction to its letter. A spokesman said: "We were simply asking for confirmation that there was evidence behind the survey results which would give consumers clear information." He said: "The FSA is an evidence based organisation, however, their findings at this stage are limited, based on a very small sample." The BRC said retailers are absolutely committed to reducing campylobacter rates. However, it said: "Despite the millions that have been invested there is, currently, no commercially available proven method. Research continues to look for one, but in the meantime the introduction of leak-proof packaging has been acknowledged by the FSA as being highly effective in preventing any issues when handling chicken when shopping. In fact, some companies are working on methods that could eradicate or reduce contamination levels. Faccenda, which is one of the UK's biggest chicken producers, is trialling a system called SonoSteam, which uses steam and ultrasound to kill bacteria. Other options include washing the meat in a mild acid solution or flash freezing.