Are your eggs safe to eat? Find out how to trace where yours have come from – and what this Dutch egg scandal is all about
Safety experts have said "very unlikely that there is any risk to public health" if you eat an egg with contaminated with the Dutch pesticide
SAFETY experts have crushed fears that eggs contaminated with a Dutch pesticide post any risk to the health of those who have eaten them.
Yesterday, the Food Standards Authority (FSA) admitted around 700,000 eggs contaminated with a Dutch pesticide had entered the UK.
This was much larger than the 21,000 it had previously said.
The FSA claims that this represents just 0.007 per cent of all the eggs consumed in the UK each year.
It also said that it's very unlikely that contaminated eggs pose any risk if consumed.
The FSA also believes that the majority of products have a short shelf life and will have already been eaten.
It added: "The decision to withdraw these products is not due to food safety concerns, but is based on the fact that Fipronil is not authorised for use in food producing animals."
The Dutch egg scandal has affected 17 nationals around the world, according to the EU.
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So, how did eggs affected by Dutch pesticide end up in food in British supermarkets?
Supermarkets and retailers have been slammed by British Lion Egg Processors for not being more transparent with shoppers about where their eggs have come from.
Over 90 per cent of UK eggs are now produced under the British Lion scheme, with more than 130 billion sold since it first launched in 1998.
The scheme has effectively eliminated the presence of salmonella in UK eggs.
All the major retailers stock British Lion eggs which carry the logo on both the egg shell and the egg box.
But for products containing eggs, such as sandwiches or salads, it's much more difficult for shoppers to check where the egg has come from.
Ian Jones, chairman of British Lion Egg Processors, said: “We believe shoppers are growing increasingly concerned about the ingredients used in manufactured food and now more than ever want and deserve transparency on food packaging.
"The British Egg Industry Council believes that this is a great opportunity for retailers to listen to the concerns of their customers and reassure them by specifying the use of British eggs and using the ‘Made with British Lion eggs’ logo on packs.”
How can you tell where your egg has come from?
The code printed on the side of an British Lion egg allows shoppers to trace its life.
The number identifies whether it's organic, free range, barn or caged.
The unique code along the egg denotes where the egg was produced. It also includes a best before date and recognisable British Lion quality mark.
You can enter the code in to the to find out more.
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