Kristen Zanoni  |  July 16, 2020

Category: Consumer Goods

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Scientist tests eggs in lab - UK salmonella outbreak

Nearly 40 people have been affected by a salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated eggs from the United Kingdom.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) told Food Safety News the agency does not know the exact date of inception of illness for all the patients. According to the spokesman, there have been 38 reported cases in the salmonella outbreak. The incident is traced through an analysis of whole-genome sequencing data, Food Safety News reported.

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) announced on their portal in early July that a commercial decision was made by an egg producer in the Netherlands to give contaminated eggs physical or chemical treatment. 

The salmonella outbreak investigation began in May.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and PHE were involved in the analysis of whole-genome sequencing data, according to Food Safety News. They determined the same strain of salmonella from the farm samples was in the infected people.

In May, an FSA spokesperson told Food Safety News, eggs from Lion Code hens had been identified as possibly containing salmonella and were exported to the Netherlands for pasteurization, the process that kills the salmonella.

Bowl of eggs with one broken egg in foreground - UK salmonella outbreakControl measures were taken at the farm to ensure the salmonella had been destroyed from the contaminated eggs. The spokesperson also said the European Commission and Dutch authorities had been notified.

Ninety percent of U.K. egg production comes from British Lion Brand. The British Lion logo on eggs verifies they have been laid by hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella bacteria. The logo ensures the eggs have been produced under the standards of the British Lion Code of Practice.

Vaccination of animals to prevent salmonella outbreaks is only partially preventive. Good farm management and conscientious administration of the vaccine via drinking water are part of the infection control and risk-minimisation processes. 

Following salmonella outbreaks, farms are thoroughly cleansed and disinfected before they are permitted to re-stock. After proper cleaning, environmental samples are taken measures to check for contaminated eggs. Then, samples are taken by the APHA, according to national control plan requirements, Food Safety News reported.

The FSA spokesman told Food Safety News a Salmonella outbreak was found in the east of England as a result of reports of illness following retail sales.

“Once the link was made to particular flocks, restrictions were put in place but eggs at retail had already been sold,” the spokesman said. “Those still at the packing center and farm were quarantined and then sent to the Netherlands for pasteurization. We issued a RASFF at this time to make the European Commission and relevant Netherlands authorities aware about the distribution of potentially contaminated eggs for processing – as is normal practice.

“Following consultation with local authority, PHE and APHA colleagues, we took the decision not to issue a recall due to the small number of eggs estimated to be potentially contaminated, the low level of risk to healthy consumers and the very much larger number of unaffected eggs likely to be implicated, a recall was considered to be disproportionate,” he said.

Since 2012, more than 1,600 people in Europe and the U.K. have been infected by salmonella.

There are more than 2,500 strains of salmonella bacteria. The bacteria live in the guts of animals, including chicken, cattle, pigs, hedgehogs, snakes and lizards.

Salmonella causes food poisoning in people who eat contaminated foods.

Foods such as eggs, chicken and dairy can carry salmonella bacteria. Fruits and vegetables that have been in contact with livestock, manure or untreated water can also become contaminated and make people sick. 

According to the U.K. government, people preparing food should make sure that they wash their hands and clean kitchen equipment properly as a precaution against the spread of salmonellas from meat to other foods in the kitchen. 

Salmonella infection symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. Symptoms usually develop between 12 and 72 hours after consuming contaminated food. The illness usually lasts from four to seven days. People with severe or prolonged illness should see a doctor.

Do you know someone who was infected by the salmonella outbreak related to eggs? Let us know in the comments.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.