FSA urges consumers to check for the Lion mark

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reiterated its advice for vulnerable groups to check for the Lion mark on eggs to make sure they are safe.

The announcement follows the creation of the #RawEggChallenge on social media, in which consumers are encouraging each other to drink raw egg and donate to charity.

Kevin Coles, British Egg Information Service, said: "This is a lovely idea and we’re right behind it, but make sure that you stay safe and follow the Food Standards Agency advice by using eggs that are produced to British Lion standards."

The British Lion Code of Practice is the UK’s most successful food safety scheme. More than 90% of UK eggs are now produced to British Lion standards and more than 150 billion British Lion eggs have been produced since its launch in 1998.

In 2017, the Food Standards Agency confirmed that Lion eggs are the only ones that are safe to be consumed runny, or even raw, by everyone including vulnerable groups.

All eggs that carry the British Lion mark meet the stringent requirements of the British Lion Code of Practice which ensures the highest standards of food safety. The independently audited code contains strict food safety controls above and beyond EU and UK legislation, and covers more than 700 auditable points from Salmonella vaccination to complete traceability of hens, eggs and feed.