Warning Issued: Thousands of Eggs Potentially Contaminated with Salmonella in the UK
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning regarding thousands of eggs potentially contaminated with Salmonella. The potentially contaminated British Lion eggs were distributed in England and Wales at certain Sainsbury, Aldi, and Asda stores. The eggs were sold in a variety of quantities with batch number 1UK15270; the full list of possibly contaminated products can be found here. Instead of issuing a recall and urging customers to not eat the eggs, the FSA has published food safety advice in order to avoid Salmonella infections. They advice consumers to throughly cook the eggs before ingesting, meaning that both the egg yolk and whites should not be runny. If properly cooked, any potential Salmonella bacteria will be destroyed and no longer infectious. The FSA also advises consumers to not ingest the eggs after the “Best By” date, and to properly sanitize any surfaces the eggs come in contact with. It is believed the FSA also did not issue a recall because they believe the number of eggs that are actually infected with Salmonella bacteria to be low. The warning was issued after traces of Salmonella bacteria were found in the egg’s environment.
Symptoms of salmonellosis, the infection caused by Salmonella bacteria, include typical food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and cramping, though some have also reported nausea, vomiting, and a headache. According to the CDC, symptoms of a Salmonella infection typically begin 1 to 3 days after ingesting the bacteria, though some report symptoms as early as 6 hours and as late as 6 days after ingestion. The majority of people recover from the infection without treatment, though those with a severe infection may need a treatment of antibiotics. People with weakened immune system, the elderly, pregnant women, and children, are more at risk for a severe infection. Some patients may need to be hospitalized due to dehydration from excessive diarrhea or due to the severity of their gastroenteritis. If you believe you are suffering from Salmonella poisoning, contact your doctor for the best course of treatment.
