Egg products users to benefit from isotope testing breakthrough

New developments in the technology used for isotope testing will ensure food manufacturers, retailers and caterers can be confident in the traceability of the egg products they use.

The new technology can indicate consistency with claimed country of origin/production system. As traceability becomes more difficult once an egg is taken out of its shell and with imports accounting for around a third of egg product usage in the UK this is a particularly important development for the food manufacturing and processing industry.

Ian Jones, Chairman of British Lion egg processors, explains: “Isotope testing is an exciting development and will further help to give food manufacturers the additional reassurance that they know they are getting what they’ve ordered.

“The Lion Code of Practice for egg products already has a number of stringent processes in place to ensure full traceability. These include mass balance checks, additional auditing, a database of egg movements and on-farm marking. We also intend to make use of the new isotope technology to show that with British Lion egg products you know what you are getting – a product that is produced to the highest standards of food safety.”

Samples of egg products will also be taken from egg processing plants and tested. Samples from all existing laying farms in the scheme will be taken every 12 months and a random selection tested each month.  This will enable a database to be established which will be regularly renewed.  Eggs and egg products will also be tested if an additional traceability check is required.