A COUNCIL is aiming to half the cases of a potentially fatal type of food poisoning with an awareness campaign this week.

As part of Food Safety Week local food businesses in Middlesbrough are teaming up with the council to launch a "chicken challenge", which aims to help people avoid campylobacter food poisoning.

Three-quarters of people eat chicken every week - and 280,000 cases of food poisoning a year are traced to campylobacter, a bacteria found mostly on raw chicken.

Campylobacter isn’t visible, gives no odour and can’t be tasted but at its worst can paralyse or even kill.

Middlesbrough Council is asking local butchers shops to promote Food Safety Week and help protect their customers from the risks of campylobacter food poisoning.

The Council haS also provided information to caterers in Middlesbrough to raise awareness of campylobacter and the hygiene practices that are needed to prevent its spread.

Edward Kunonga, Director of Public Health for Middlesbrough Council, said: “Reducing food borne infections is a key local and national food safety priority.

“In Middlesbrough, campylobacter infections account for more than half of all food borne diseases reported to the Council.

“The typical symptoms of campylobacter infections include severe diarrhoea and abdominal pain lasting between two and five days. It is a very unpleasant illness that can take several weeks to fully recover from.”