Salmonella in 3 per cent of imports

More than three per cent of foreign eggs on sale in British shops are contaminated with salmonella, according to a major new study from the Foods Standards Agency.

The new health threat findings once again focus on imports from Spain where as many as seventy per cent of holdings are known to be affected by some kind of salmonella.

The FSA survey involved 1,744 boxes of eggs bought from retailers—mostly small local shops—in London and the North West of England. A total of 157 samples—9 per cent—were found to be contaminated and most with Salmonella Enteritidis. The vast majority of findings involved contamination of the shell but 10 samples were also contents positive.

When researchers combined the results with import data they calculated a contamination level of 3.3 per cent.

Eggs from 8 different countries were tested including Ireland, France, Holland, Portugal and Poland. But most of the contaminated samples came from Spain and were linked to one packing station which took supplies from just three units.


Two years ago 15 people died and 6,000 were struck down with severe salmonella food poisoning linked to the supply of cheap Spanish eggs and the British egg industry called for a ban on all imports unless they were produced to the same standard as the British Lion Scheme.

But British officials declined to act, except through talks with the Spanish authorities. Once again the FSA is declining to even advise British consumers to avoid imports and is instead issuing advice about the cooking of all eggs.

The FSA’s Stephen Pugh told the Ranger: "Obviously we can identify the Spanish farms responsible because we have the numbers on the eggs. And we have contacted the Spanish authorities to ask them to act. They have been extremely co-operative."

The shocking extent of salmonella contamination of laying hen units in some European countries was revealed earlier this year. The findings show that in three countries—Spain, Poland and Portugal—more than 70 per cent of units are positive for some kind of salmonella.

In terms of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium four countries—Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Portugal—the contamination level is well over one in five units.

By contrast the UK figures are dramatically lower. Figures for all salmonellas reached 11 per cent and for SE and ST were reduced to just 8 per cent. The figures were produced by the European Food Safety Authority following the analysis of environmental samples from 4,797 holdings in 26 EU countries.