The British Egg Information Service educates and informs the general public, education and professional sectors and the media. The press releases in this section cover recent key developments and nutritional news, and will be of particular interest to the media and to health professionals. If you would like us to keep you informed about any new additions to the site, register now for email updates

Full list* of press releases below. More information and press releases can also be found on our general BEIS web site at www.britegg.co.uk

14 October 2004
Egg Industry Leaders Condemn Lack of Action on Spanish Eggs

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has condemned both the UK Government and the European Commission for not taking quicker action against Spanish eggs, which have caused several salmonella outbreaks in the UK over the past two years.

The BEIC reiterated advice for consumers and caterers to look for the British Lion mark for the safest eggs in the world.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) have announced that they are to step up action following recent outbreaks of salmonella food poisoning associated with Spanish eggs.

But Andrew Parker, Chairman of the BEIC, said: "It is ridiculous that two years after the problem with Spanish eggs first became apparent no action has been taken. It is now time for the UK Government to ban Spanish eggs.

"Since the introduction of the British Lion programme in 1998, we have seen cases of salmonella in humans plummet in the UK. This situation is now being threatened by the continued use of cheap Spanish eggs by some caterers."

Edwina Currie has also confirmed her support for British Lion eggs this week. Hailing "a tremendous British farming success", Mrs Currie urged the rest of the world to follow the British egg industry’s lead in addressing salmonella.

Reports earlier this year from both the HPA and the FSA confirmed the achievement of the British Egg industry in reducing salmonella in eggs. Of the 28,000 UK-produced eggs tested by the FSA, no salmonella was found inside any of them and only nine showed traces of salmonella on the shell. The HPA survey of more than 34,000 eggs in catering premises, conducted in conjunction with the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS), found salmonella in just 0.3% of samples.

The results contrast with the most recent HPA tests on imported Spanish eggs, of which nearly 6% tested positive for salmonella. In the same HPA public health investigation, salmonella was not recovered from any UK eggs produced under the Lion Code of Practice.

The majority of UK eggs are now produced under the stringent food safety standards of the British Lion scheme, which includes vaccination of hens against salmonella enteritidis.

The BEIC believes that the stringent food safety standards incorporated within the Lion Quality Code of Practice, combined with proper handling and correct storage, mean that the risk of salmonella food poisoning from Lion eggs is negligible.

For further information, please contact Cath MacDonald or Kevin Coles on 020 7370 7411

*All current Releases: