Eggs story so faR
New findings on egg safety
Recent advice from the Food Standards agency, is that now even vulnerable groups can safely eat UK eggs without needing to hardboil them, so long as they bear the British Lion mark. However, this does not apply to severely immunocompromised individuals, who require medically supervised diets
In July 2016 the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) published its report stating that ‘the presence of salmonella in UK eggs has been dramatically reduced in recent years’. BUT the eggs must have been produced using the standards laid down by British Lion Code of Practice.
Why the Lion Brand Scheme?
The scheme requires strict control such as, vaccinating hens, improved farm hygiene, testing of hens for salmonella, strict pest control and transportation and independent auditing and traceability. Records are kept about the hens health, its food and whether or not it’s been infected and even the eggs transport to the shop). Another feature is that during deliveries from farm to the shop, the eggs are kept cool.
It’s important to know that the scheme is the only industry scheme approved by the Government to take officially take salmonella samples.
What about Non Lion Marked Eggs?
Unfortunately UK produced non-Lion eggs, non-hen eggs and eggs from outside the UK, have not been given the same status. Again the normal advice for using these eggs are would be always thoroughly cook before serving to a vulnerable person.
How Can i use Eggs Safely?
If you want to consume lightly cooked eggs you should:
- Always check the date and marking. Don’t risk out of date eggs.
- Try to keep in egg box
- Don’t use cracked eggs
- Always wash your hands after and before handling raw eggs
- Keep eggs cool ( below 20ºC) if possible store in fridge but not near to raw meat.
- Be careful not to cross contaminate when preparing food using these eggs
- Always clean work surface using sanitiser