Egg Products and the ACMSF Report
The Government's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food published a report in January 2016 which raised concerns about non-UK egg products, highlighting three separate cases involving Salmonella in imported egg products, and noting that pasteurised egg can carry a food safety risk:
‘Robust, evidence based methods for the validation of the performance of heat-processing treatments are probably required because current methods may overestimate the microbial load reduction achieved, with industrial procedures for heat treatment of egg products.’ But the report's authors put this risk towards imported egg products: 'Although egg products are pasteurised, it is possible for treatment failures and recontamination to occur, but the risk applies primarily to imported eggs products.'
Food safety expert, Dr Lisa Ackerley
“As a professional food safety expert, who speaks to senior technical figures within the industry on a regular basis, the journey into understanding egg products has been a real eye opener. Now I am absolutely determined to spread the word.
“In recent years, there have been several food safety issues linked to imported eggs and egg products, creating a heightened awareness among consumers of the risks of using imported ingredients. Consumers want and deserve a guarantee that retailers and food manufacturers are using good quality British ingredients that are produced to high standards of food safety.
“When it comes to egg products the solution is simple, manufactures and retailers can reassure consumers by specifying British Lion egg products and using the ‘Made with British Lion eggs’ logo on packaging.”