Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning in the UK.

To tackle the problem, the Food Standards Agency is implementing a campylobacter risk management programme in its Foodborne Disease Strategy for 2010-2015.

Chicken is recognised as an important reservoir for this pathogen, and the programme aims to reduce campylobacter contamination of UK-produced poultry, with the ultimate aim of reducing human cases of campylobacteriosis in the UK.

The programme encompasses a range of projects targeting different interventions across the poultry supply chain.

To assess the impact of these interventions on human campylobacter infection, the Agency says it needs to determine whether there is a change in the attribution of these cases to different food sources over time.

The Agency now wants to commission a study involving enhanced molecular-based surveillance and source attribution of campylobacter infections in the UK by collecting and characterising isolates from food and human sources across the UK.

the Agency is now inviting tenders to carry out the research.