BEIC urges companies to look for the Lion

In light of dioxin contamination of animal feed in Germany, the British Egg Industry Council has urged food manufacturers, caterers and retailers to specify British Lion eggs and egg products to ensure the highest standards of food safety.

The Code of Practice for British Lion eggs incorporates wide-reaching controls throughout the production chain and stipulates that feed is produced to the Universal Feed Assurance Scheme standard, which ensures that all raw materials are sourced from approved suppliers and are regularly checked, minimising the risk of contamination.

The German contamination occurred as a result of fats not intended for food use being used in animal feed for pigs and poultry.   Some affected eggs produced in Germany were distributed to the Netherlands and mixed with other eggs to make pasteurised liquid egg, some of which was subsequently imported into the UK.

Andrew Parker, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “While there have been a number of instances of dioxin contamination in eggs and egg products across the EU over the past decade, the requirements of the Lion Code have meant that there have been no such cases in British Lion eggs or egg products.  We would urge retailers and manufacturers to specify the British Lion standard to ensure they are receiving eggs and egg products produced to the highest food safety standards.”