Food safety expert highlights risks of imported eggs

Food safety expert, Sterling Crew, has been highlighting the food safety benefits of British Lion eggs and the risks of using imports, following reports that the FSA and UKHSA is investigating several Salmonella outbreaks linked to Polish eggs.

Polish authorities found Salmonella at several sites that supplied eggs to the UK. One of these outbreaks has resulted in 47 confirmed cases, with 25 of them being associated with one specific restaurant. A different strain of Salmonella has been linked to 82 cases in connection to bakeries in Cornwall. Food supply chain investigations have suggested that these eggs are from Poland.

Crew said: "The Lion Code of Practice is the most comprehensive egg safety standard in the world and the UK's most successful food safety scheme. It's also the catalyst for the Food Standards Agency changing its advice to allow vulnerable groups to eat eggs raw or runny, if they have the Lion stamp."

Unlike imported eggs, British Lion eggs are FSA-approved to be served runny to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and the elderly. The Lion mark ensures that all hens are vaccinated against Salmonella and produced to the highest food safety standards.

Watch Crew break down the benefits of using Lion for caterers and the risks associated with imported eggs in more detail as part of a Chartered Institute of Environmental Health webinar ‘Imported eggs: time to crack down?' here.