One person has died and hundreds have fallen ill following a UK-wide salmonella outbreak that has been linked to imported eggs.
More than 200 people aged between 0 and 90 have been affected by the same strain of the bacteria over the past year, with most cases in England (199) – concentrated in London (47) and Yorkshire and Humber (38).
While 206 of the 207 cases have been detected over the course of 2026, more than 100 have been identified since July. Underscoring the seriousness of the outbreak, 38% of those affected have been admitted to hospital, with two suffering blood infections.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is leading an investigation in response.
While the UKHSA said epidemiological and food chain investigations were ongoing to identify the source of the outbreak and the contamination responsible for the illness, it has been linked to imported eggs.
The UKHSA said 83% of victims had reported eating food prepared outside their homes in the week prior to falling ill. Five food businesses “where two or more independent cases reported attending in the week prior to symptom onset” have been identified, linking 24 cases in total.
“Food chain investigations to date have identified that these premises are supplied by eggs from multiple sources, including egg importers,” the UKHSA said. “Local investigations have also identified possible cross-contamination risk events within two of these settings,” it continued, adding that there was no identified link to UK-produced eggs or poultry “at this time”.
The outbreak has reignited long-standing industry concerns about import standards. Responding to the current outbreak, British Egg Industry Council chief executive Nick Allen said it was “deeply concerning that imported eggs are once again under scrutiny in connection with a serious salmonella outbreak”.
According to the BEIC’s Shell Shocked report, more than 14 billion eggs are consumed each year, with 1.6 billion imported annually – a figure that has increased by more than 600 million since 2021.
Eggs from Poland and Ukraine have been responsible for much of the rise, which the BEIC said was due to “ongoing cost pressures” that have been “pushing some foodservice operators and manufacturers toward cheaper imports”.
However, it warned lower prices can come with “trade-offs”, with many imported eggs failing to meet British welfare and food safety standards.
Allen reiterated long-standing calls for a “level playing field” for British egg producers, saying “eggs and egg products entering the UK should meet standards equivalent to those expected of British producers if we are serious about protecting British consumers”.
“British Lion egg producers have invested heavily in world-leading food safety controls, including mandatory salmonella vaccination, traceability and independent auditing, yet increasing volumes of imports produced under less stringent regulations continue to arrive,” Allen added.
This was echoed by NFU poultry chair Will Raw, who said the imports of eggs produced to a lower standard “simply cannot be allowed to continue”.
”Government should ensure at a minimum that adequate checks are conducted on imports to ensure all products coming into the country are safe and, crucially, introduce a robust system of core production standards that applies equally to domestic and imported food,” he added.
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