FSA reveals new contaminated egg guidelines

The FSA and Food Standards Scotland has met industry representatives to specify products would need to be withdrawn if contaminated eggs were likely to make up more than 15% of the product.

Food businesses must comply with these guidelines, or show that the egg ingredient used is compliant with the EU maximum residue level for the insecticide fipronil. 

‘Not authorised for use in food’

The FSA said: “It remains very unlikely that there is any risk to public health, but as fipronil is not authorised for use in food producing animals we continue to track down implicated food products and ensure that they are removed from sale where they breach the limit.

“It remains the case that the egg we have identified represents only a fraction of a single percentage of the eggs we consume in the UK every year. There remains no need to change how you buy or consume eggs; we are not concerned about any risk to health.”

Contaminated eggs have been found to be incorporated into processed foods, with fresh eggs remaining unaffected. Home-produced eggs are being tested for the presence of fipronil, but no traces have been found so far.

Possible fipronil contamination

Six egg products have been withdrawn from sale due to possible fipronil contamination, bringing the running total of products recalled in the UK due to the contaminated imported egg scandal to 31.

Included in the recalls were liquid egg products from producers Braeforge and Oliver Kay, which were distributed to catering outlets. See a full list below.

After first claiming no eggs containing fipronil had entered the UK, the FSA later revised its estimate to 21,000, before raising that estimate to 700,000 eggs.

Meanwhile, the fipronil imported egg scandal could have been avoided with stronger supply chain management, claimed consultancy Adjuno.