While it is not a food safety issue with no risk to human health, both the Food Standards Agency and poultry sector are keen to eliminate it totally, reports the Farmers Weekly Interactive.

Peter Bradnock of the British Poultry Council explains that while feed bin management is key "we didn't really know if that is the only cause. Is it also some other cross-contamination of feed, or the result of feed withdrawal prior to catching encouraging birds to pick at litter which could contain treated feed from an earlier spillage?"

However, the fear is that failure to act could eventually lead to the withdrawal of nicarbazin (Maxiban), which is a very important coccidiostat for the UK where, it is used extensively in starter and grower diets. Maxiban is the only UK licensed product containing nicarbazin.