July 26, 2011

UK consumers warned of Salmonella in Spanish eggs

More than 100 cases of Salmonella food poisoning have been reported across England, Wales, and the Isle of Man, prompting the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) to issue a warning to caterers about Spanish eggs.

Caterers have been warned previously about Spanish eggs, and the BEIC is urging caterers to avoid the risks associated with Salmonella by making sure that eggs bear the British Lion standard.

The British Lion Code of Practice includes vaccination of hens against Salmonella.

This is the latest in a series of Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks since 2002, some of which were also linked to Spanish eggs.

Andrew Parker, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said that it was "unbelievable" that British consumers were being put at risk by imported eggs.

"There are plenty of high quality British eggs available, yet UK caterers think that it's OK to risk their customers' health by buying cheap, infected, imported eggs," he said. "Caterers should be using due diligence and ensuring that they only serve eggs which conform to Lion standards."