BEIC condemns government inaction
British Egg Industry Council chairman Andrew Parker has blasted Government inaction after imported Spanish eggs were linked to two deaths and a spate of salmonella cases.
Figures released by the Food Standards Agency show that a total of 443 cases of salmonella enteridis phage type (PT) 14b have been reported to the FSA this year compared to 137 in 2008. The agency has pointed to a particular increase since mid-August. The strain involved in these food poisoning cases is one not found in egg laying flocks in this country, and Andrew Parker says the Government should have done far more to prevent them happening.
"It is because our Government won’t take a firm hand in this that we continue to have the problems. It is up to the Government to speak to the Spanish government and say ’look, enough is enough’. What we do expect is them to take steps to ensure we have eggs free from salmonella coming into this country."
The FSA is investigating a total of 14 clusters in England and Wales. It said in a statement,"The clusters have been linked to a number of different catering establishments and one care home. Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, the clusters may be linked to eggs sourced from outside the UK and used in these establishments. Investigations are ongoing into a possible link to eggs sourced from an approved establishment in Spain, and the UK and Spanish authorities are working in close co-operation to investigate this."
It is thought that seven of the 14 clusters were linked to Chinese or Thai restaurants, three to cafes, one to an Italian restaurant, one to a kebab shop and another to a mobile food vendor. There has also been an outbreak at the Piers View Care Home in Sunderland. Three members of staff and five residents were taken ill. Two of the residents subsequently died in hospital. The cases in Sunderland are under investigation by the local Health Protection Agency and the council’s Environmental Health Service, as well as the FSA.
The British Egg Industry Council has issued a statement criticising the FSA for failing to give clear advice to caterers about using safe eggs. It has asked the FSA to urgently review its advice to caterers to highlight the higher safety profile of eggs from flocks vaccinated against salmonella.
More than 85 per cent of UK-produced eggs are produced under the British Lion scheme, which requires vaccination of hens against salmonella along with a range of other food safety measures.
"All major UK retailers specify British Lion eggs and we believe it is time that caterers took similar responsibility for buying eggs with an impeccable safety profile," said Andrew Parker in the statement.
Since the introduction of the British Lion scheme in 1998, salmonella had been effectively eliminated from British eggs, said the statement. This had been confirmed by a number of independent surveys. "A report from the Advisory Committee for the Microbiological Safety of Food in 2001 acknowledged the success of the British Lion vaccination programme in tackling salmonella in eggs and in 2004 the Food Standards Agency found no salmonella inside 28,000 UK-produced eggs tested. In 2006 the status of UK egg production as among the safest in the world was confirmed by an EU Salmonella Zoonoses survey."
In its statement about the type (PT) 14b outbreak, the FSA said it was reminding caterers and other food businesses how to cook and prepare eggs safely. "Eggs – advice to caterers is available for download. Safer food, better business (SFBB) is also available to help catering businesses comply with food hygiene regulations that were introduced in January 2006. SFBB packs have been translated into other languages to help producers of international cuisines and versions are also available for childminders and care homes," said the statement.
The FSA said that since January 2009, all EU member states were required to have a Salmonella national control programme and carry out testing for salmonella in laying flocks. Although this programme was intended to reduce the incidence of salmonella in laying flocks and the egg market, it could not guarantee complete absence, it said. "Eggs from flocks testing positive for salmonella (specifically S. Enteritidis or S. Typhimurium) are not allowed to be sold directly to consumers. Most of these eggs are instead sent for pasteurisation."
It said that salmonella was one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the UK and was sometimes found in unpasteurised milk, raw meat and poultry, as well as eggs and products containing raw egg. The majority of eggs on sale in shops in the UK were of UK origin, and recent surveys had shown there was a very low incidence of salmonella in UK eggs. "Even so, it isn’t possible to guarantee that any egg will be free from salmonella, whatever the source or brand," said the statement.
However, UK egg industry representatives say the best way to avoid outbreaks like the one the FSA is currently investigating is to buy British Lion eggs.
Tests at a UK egg distributor revealed that the same strain of salmonella linked to many of the recent food poisoning cases under investigation by the FSA was present in a batch of eggs imported from Spain. The FSA has notified the European Commission about these contaminated eggs from Spain.
Kevin Coles of the British Egg Information Service said there had been a lot of problems over the years with eggs imported from Spain. He said that attempts had been made to deal with the issue in 2004 but unsuccessfully. "We would like to see action taken in this country, and we would certainly encourage caterers to use British Lion eggs. We are also encouraging the FSA to make it clear that not all eggs are the same," he said.
Andrew Parker said he wanted the Government to push for higher quality eggs to be used by the catering trade, which still uses thousands of imported eggs every year - most of them from Spain. "Support the British farmer and British agriculture – what do they find so difficult in that? It is quite simple: look for the Lion and you won’t have the problem."
