A strain of superbug MRSA has been found in pork sold in several British supermarkets, according to a Guardian investigation.
The MRSA CC398 originates in animals due to excessive use of powerful antibiotics on factory farms.
As part of the investigation, around 100 packets of pork chops, bacon and gammon from Sainsbury's, Asda, the Co-operative and Tesco were tested.
The CC398 can be transmitted by touching infected meat products or coming into contact with livestock or people affected by the superbug.
Although CC398 can be killed through cooking, it causes potential health risk in people.
So far, around 10 complaints have been reported associated with CC398 infection.
People infected with CC398 will have no signs of illnesses. However, the bacteria may cause skin infections and other life-threatening infections in some people.
Around two thirds of pig farms across Denmark are infected with CC398.
Trace One 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.
"Where retailers show their true colours is in their response. While they 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."
