The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned older people and young children not to eat runny eggs after a UK-wide salmonella outbreak was declared.
Under-fives, over-65s, pregnant women and those with health conditions should avoid undercooked eggs at this time. Vulnerable people should also avoid any food that may contain uncooked eggs, such as mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce.
National outbreak declared
The warning follows the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declaring a national outbreak of salmonella food poisoning after one person died and hundreds fell ill. The agency stressed that well-cooked eggs were safe to consume.
FSA chief scientific adviser Ian Young said British eggs from supermarkets were okay, since chickens bred in Britain are vaccinated against common strains of salmonella. It is thought imported eggs are behind the outbreak.
Advice for eating out
Mr Young told the BBC there is "no link to those eggs to this current outbreak". However, he stressed that people need to be careful, since the outbreak is "unusually large and rapidly increasing".
He added: "If people are eating out or consuming eggs or egg-containing products from cafes and restaurants then for those people in particular who are young, elderly, pregnant or vulnerable, it's important to make sure that any eggs or egg products that you consume in those settings have been very well cooked."
Case numbers and symptoms
As of August 13, there were 207 confirmed cases within this outbreak, and the UKHSA suspects they are from a common source of contamination. Cases were most prominent in England, though there were six cases in Scotland, and one in both Wales and Northern Ireland. London and Yorkshire and Humber had the highest number of cases in England.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that cause a common type of food poisoning called salmonellosis. People usually get sick from eating contaminated food, such as raw meat, poultry, eggs, or unpasteurised dairy products, or from handling infected animals. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting.
