UK households have been urged not to eat eggs stamped with a specific batch code after salmonella was found in some of them. The eggs, originating from Yasensvit Ltd in Ukraine, carry the code 3UA1012066.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) published a food alert warning that all eggs with this code should be removed from sale and not consumed. The FSA said: "All eggs with the code 3UA1012066 should be withdrawn from the market and recalled from consumers. These eggs should not be consumed."
What customers need to do
The FSA advised consumers to check the code stamped on the egg and not to eat eggs bearing 3UA1012066. Instead, they should dispose of them at home. These eggs are not sold in large retailers like supermarkets; most are used within the catering supply chain, though some may be sold at small shops such as corner shops.
The recalled product is raw shell-on eggs with product code 3UA1012066, from Yasensvit Ltd, Kyiv, Ukraine. The pack size is all sizes, and the best before date is all dates.
What businesses should do
Food businesses have been urged to check their egg supply chain and the codes within their control. The FSA noted that eggs with this code may have been repacked by other businesses in the UK, with different business details and packing centre codes on the outer packaging.
Businesses are advised to immediately stop using or selling eggs with the stamp 3UA1012066, undertake product withdrawals, and where there have been retail sales, to undertake product recalls. The FSA said: "If you have been supplied with these eggs, dispose of them safely. These eggs should not be diverted to further processing."
Symptoms of salmonella
Salmonella is a group of bacteria behind one of the most common types of food poisoning in the UK. Symptoms caused by Salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. According to the UK Health Security Agency, symptoms typically include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever, appearing between 12 and 72 hours after infection, with illness typically lasting four to seven days.
Those with symptoms should stay away from work, school or nursery until they have stopped for at least 48 hours to avoid passing it on. Most people recover on their own, but older people, pregnant women, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system are at greater risk of more severe illness.
The UK Health Security Agency advises eating British Lion marked eggs and ensuring eggs are thoroughly cooked when eating out. It said: "This means avoiding dishes such as soft boiled or poached eggs, fresh mayonnaise, mousses, soufflés and hollandaise sauce, unless you know the eggs used meet these assurance standards."
