A new study has found that a compound in garlic is about 100 times more effecting is fighting a type of bacteria called, Campylobacter that causes food poisoning than some of the antibiotics used by doctors.

Campylobacter is usually found on the surface of poultry and inside the flesh and the cases of food poising have been rising. The compound in garlic was found to be 100 times more effecting in fighting campylobacter than two of the antibiotics.

The researchers at Washington State University in the US found that the compound in garlic called, diallyl sulphide is capable of entering slimy film that protects colonies of Campylobacter. They were able to find that the compound was 100 times more effective than the antibiotics erythromycin and ciprofloxacin under laboratory testing. They also found that the compound woks very quickly in fighting the bacteria.

Barbara Rasco, associate professor of food science, said, "Diallyl sulphide could make many foods safer to eat. It can be used to clean food preparation surfaces and as a preservative in packaged foods like potato and pasta salads, coleslaw and deli meats."

The study is published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy