British egg producers are calling for tighter import controls and stronger salmonella testing
A national salmonella outbreak has grown to 474 confirmed cases and two deaths, with health officials continuing to investigate imported eggs as the likely source.
The outbreak has reignited calls from Britain’s egg industry for tighter import controls, amid concerns that differences in production standards could undermine food safety and consumer confidence.
However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has stressed that investigations remain ongoing and eggs have not yet been confirmed as the definitive source.
UKHSA has also said: “At this time there is no identified link to UK-produced eggs or poultry.”
The agency declared the salmonella enteritidis outbreak on 18 August and has since identified three linked clusters. By 27 August, the original cluster had grown to 259 cases and one death, while a second cluster accounted for 38 cases and another death.
A third cluster contained a further 177 cases, with no deaths recorded.
The investigation began in May after health officials detected a rise in infections involving the same strain, which was later confirmed through whole genome sequencing.
UKHSA said “the signal for egg consumption remains the strongest in this investigation”.
Hannah Charles, UKHSA’s lead epidemiologist for gastrointestinal infections, said: “Our investigation to date indicates a link to imported eggs, however this investigation remains ongoing.”
The original cluster included cases across all four UK nations, with 199 in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. London and Yorkshire and Humber were the worst-affected English regions, while 38% of cases had hospital treatment recorded, including two people who developed serious bloodstream infections.
Many infections appear to have been associated with restaurants, cafés and takeaways rather than meals prepared at home.
Five food businesses were linked to at least two independent cases each in the original cluster, although none has been named. Investigators believe the businesses source eggs from multiple suppliers, including imported ones, while hygiene practices at some premises are also being examined.
This means both the egg supply chain and handling at the point of use remain under investigation.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued fresh guidance to catering businesses on the safe storage, handling and use of eggs. Its underlying advice remains that thoroughly cooked eggs which are handled hygienically should not pose a food safety risk.
British Lion and Laid in Britain assurance-scheme eggs remain the exception that the FSA permits vulnerable groups to consume raw or runny.
Professor Ian Young, the FSA’s chief scientific adviser, said: “The exact causes of these outbreaks have not yet been identified, but investigations so far have identified links to imported eggs.”
The outbreak has prompted renewed criticism from British egg producers over the standards applied to imports.
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), said: “It is deeply concerning that imported eggs are once again under scrutiny in connection with a serious Salmonella outbreak.”
He said British producers had invested heavily in measures including vaccination, traceability and independent auditing.
“There must be a level playing field. Imported eggs and egg products entering the UK should meet standards equivalent to those expected of British producers if we are serious about protecting British consumers,” he said.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) has also warned that the outbreak could damage confidence in the wider UK egg sector, regardless of where the affected eggs ultimately originated.
Gary Ford, BFREPA’s head of strategy and producer engagement, said: “Whatever the country of origin of the affected eggs, an outbreak like this has the potential to undermine consumer confidence in eggs as a whole.”
BFREPA is again calling for tighter safeguards on imported eggs and plans to write to the Prime Minister setting out producers’ concerns.
British commercial laying hens have been vaccinated against common salmonella strains since the mid-1990s, while schemes including British Lion require additional measures covering vaccination, testing, traceability and auditing throughout the supply chain.
Concern within the industry has also been heightened by previous incidents involving imported eggs. UKHSA said the strain involved in the current outbreak is genetically linked to a 2025 outbreak which was also associated with imported eggs.
BEIC’s Shell Shocked report, published earlier this year, found UK egg imports had increased by 60% since 2021, rising from one billion to 1.6 billion eggs annually.
The report also highlighted concerns over imports produced in conventional battery cage systems, which have been prohibited in the UK since 2012. British producers have invested around ÂŁ400 million moving towards higher-welfare systems, according to the report.
Border controls are another area coming under scrutiny.
Imported eggs are classified as medium risk, with a baseline physical inspection rate of 15% of consignments. Microbiological or antibiotic residue testing is not mandatory for every consignment selected for physical inspection.
BEIC and BFREPA are now calling for imported eggs to meet standards equivalent to those required of British producers, alongside stronger border checks and mandatory salmonella and residue testing.
They also want clearer country-of-origin and production-method labelling.
The precise source and country of origin involved in the current outbreak have yet to be established. UKHSA and local authorities are continuing to trace where affected eggs or egg products were eaten, supplied, stored and produced.
Other countries have also been alerted so they can check for genetically similar infections.