One person has died and more than 200 people have fallen ill in a national salmonella outbreak linked to imported eggs, food safety officials warned. The Food Standards Agency (FSA), the non-ministerial UK government department responsible for public health and food safety, issued an urgent alert to vulnerable members of the public following the spread of food poisoning across the country.
FSA officials warned that people aged over 65, children under five, pregnant women, and individuals with underlying health conditions should avoid consuming runny eggs when eating out at cafes, restaurants, and takeaways. The guidance also applies to uncooked egg products served in commercial catering settings, including fresh mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
Ian Young, the chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency, warned that the current outbreak is "unusually large and rapidly increasing" and stressed that "people need to be careful."
Speaking to the BBC, Young said: "If people are eating out or consuming eggs or egg-containing products from cafes and restaurants then for those people in particular who are young, elderly, pregnant or vulnerable, it's important to make sure that any eggs or egg products that you consume in those settings have been very well cooked."
However, Young emphasized that British-produced eggs sold in supermarkets are not linked to the nationwide outbreak and remain entirely safe to consume. Industry experts noted that domestic eggs carrying the British Lion quality mark present no risk to consumers.
Hospitalisations and outbreak spread
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the executive agency responsible for public health protection and infectious disease control, confirmed that more than a third of those affected by the outbreak required hospital treatment. Two patients developed severe, potentially life-threatening bloodstream infections, and one person has died.
Health authorities have confirmed 207 cases in total across the United Kingdom. These include 199 cases in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland. Laboratory testing confirmed the specific strain as Salmonella Enteritidis, a bacterium commonly found in poultry and eggs.
The UKHSA confirmed that individuals affected had become sick after eating in cafes and restaurants. Health officials identified five unnamed food businesses that two or more of those affected reported attending in the week before developing symptoms.
Jacquelyn McCormick, Head of Incidents at the FSA, stated: "We are working closely with the UK Health Security Agency and other partners to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. The exact cause has not yet been identified, however investigations so far have identified links to eggs imported from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants or cafes, as a potential source."
McCormick added: "There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected."
Industry warnings over imported eggs
The government was previously warned of the dangers associated with imported eggs in a major report published in March by industry experts. The report, titled Shell Shocked and authored by the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), highlighted "significant" safety risks involved in importing eggs from countries such as Poland and Ukraine.
While the majority of eggs sold on UK supermarket shelves are produced domestically, increasing quantities are being imported from overseas where agricultural practices banned in the UK remain permitted. Official trade data shows that egg imports to the UK have risen by 60 per cent since 2021, representing an influx of 600 million imported eggs, while exports from Ukraine jumped by 65 per cent in the last year alone.
The BEIC report raised specific fears over Ukraine's use of battery cages, which are small enclosures constructed completely of wire that have been illegal in the UK since 2012. The council stated that receiving imported eggs from Ukraine risks "undermining the integrity of the British egg market" and creates "significant food safety, economic, ethical and reputational concerns."
In its warnings to ministers, the council stated: "The principle is simple: if a production system is not legal in the UK, its products should not be allowed to enter the UK market, and neither should food produced to lower food safety standards."
The report warned: "Imports of eggs... may expose the British public to potential risks, including Salmonella, chemical residues, and eggs produced in conventional 'battery' cages."
Nick Allen, chief executive of the BEIC, said: "It is deeply concerning that imported eggs are once again under scrutiny in connection with a serious Salmonella outbreak. We have repeatedly raised concerns about the risks associated with imported eggs and egg products with Government, most recently through our Shell Shocked report."
Calls for import transparency and restrictions
Paul Wigley, a professor in animal microbial ecosystems at the University of Bristol in South West England, argued that the origin of contaminated shipments should be made public. He stated: "If necessary, restrictions should be imposed on importations."
Professor Wigley added that non-British eggs come from a "lower standard" compared to domestic production. He explained: "A UK-produced egg will come from a hen that's vaccinated against Salmonella. Every flock is tested for Salmonella roughly three to four times, every two years. You're extremely unlikely to get Salmonella from a British egg - there's almost zero risk."
Kevin Coles, of the British Egg Information Service, stated that consumers have a right to know where their food originates, particularly during an active health incident. He said: "We have been urging the Government to protect British consumers by banning imported eggs for a while. But in the meantime, you can check if your eggs are British by looking for the British Lion mark."
Salmonella symptoms and international outbreaks
Official health guidance states that salmonella infection is typically contracted by consuming contaminated foods, including poultry, meat, raw fruit, vegetables, and unpasteurised dairy products, as well as eggs. Thorough cooking destroys the pathogen, which makes raw or runny egg yolks a higher risk factor for infection.
The disease usually causes symptoms such as fever and vomiting, which typically resolve within a few days. However, in rare instances, the infection can prove fatal, with infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems being most vulnerable to severe illness.
The UK outbreak occurs as Belgium combats its own salmonella spread linked to eggs. Approximately 300 people ranging in age from one to 96 years old have fallen ill in Belgium, an increase from 236 cases reported in May.
Belgian egg producer Laerco BV issued a second egg withdrawal and recall in August following an initial recall in May. The contaminated Belgian eggs were also distributed to France, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The current situation follows a major historical outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to Polish egg imports between 2017 and 2020. That outbreak resulted in nearly 1,000 confirmed cases, the majority of which occurred in the UK.
