The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued an urgent warning after a shipment of eggs from Ukraine was found to be contaminated with Salmonella. The agency has advised consumers not to eat the affected products and businesses not to sell them.
Investigation findings
The contamination was discovered during sampling conducted as part of an investigation into an outbreak. Salmonella Enteritidis was found in eggs from Kyiv-based poultry company Yasensvit Ltd. The affected eggs are sold at small retailers rather than large supermarkets, the government agency added. They are also routinely sold to wholesalers and are more commonly used by caterers and food manufacturers than purchased directly by shoppers.
The warning affects all pack sizes and all best before dates from the producer with the product code 3UA1012066.
Health impact and official advice
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had initially been investigating an outbreak of a different strain of Salmonella when they tested the eggs. However, Salmonella Enteritidis has been linked to 36 cases of the disease reported in England this year.
Jacqueline McCormick, the head of incidents at the FSA, said: ‘We have identified Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs that were imported from a business in Ukraine and taken urgent action to protect public health and advised that any affected product on the UK market is withdrawn and recalled. ‘It is important to say however that eggs produced in the UK are not affected. ‘We are urging businesses and consumers to follow our advice in the Food Alert For Action. Consumers should not eat these eggs and businesses should withdraw them, and where retail sales have occurred, recall them, as these eggs may be unsafe to eat.’
She added: ‘Our advice for eggs not subject to the Food Alert for Action remains the same: Eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk.
‘Infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should continue to only eat raw or lightly cooked eggs if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme.
‘We continue to work with UKHSA and partners to follow the evidence, and will continue to take the action necessary to protect public health as our investigation progresses.’
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is an infection of the gut which commonly causes food poisoning. It can be caught by consuming contaminated food, particularly meat and eggs. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and high temperature, and usually clear up within a few days. It’s usually not transmitted from person to person, although it can be in cases of poor hygiene.
Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: ‘As part of egg testing conducted during our ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation, we confirmed the detection of S. Enteritidis (t5.8998) in eggs imported from Ukraine and shared this information with FSA immediately to inform further food safety action to protect public health. ‘We are urging the UK public to follow FSA advice which they have outlined in their Food Alert for Action.’
