Following last year’s fipronil scandal involving millions of eggs, many of which were processed, British Lion Egg Processors are disappointed that another major incident has been reported with eggs originating from the Netherlands.
With reports that a large number of eggs have again been contaminated with fipronil, British Lion Egg Processors are calling on the Food Standards Agency to launch a programme of random testing of eggs and egg products arriving in the UK.
Initial reports from The Agriculture Ministry of Lower Saxony say that a large number of eggs due to be sold in Germany have been found to be contaminated with fipronil, although the full scope and cause of the contamination remains unclear. The contaminated eggs originate from the Netherlands, the source of the original fipronil outbreak in August 2017.
Andrew Joret, Chairman, British Egg Industry Council, said: “Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these developments as we have been concerned for some time that the initial issues following the product recalls we saw last year have not been thoroughly resolved.
“With the extent of the issue unclear, we are asking the Food Standards Agency to take decisive action to protect UK food businesses, and are calling for random testing of all imported eggs and egg products. Food businesses should protect themselves by specifying British Lion eggs and egg products, which are produced to the highest standards of food safety, and reassure their customers by using the British Lion mark on pack.”
The majority of eggs imported into the UK are destined for processing or the food manufacturing industry.
