HBG

After reading this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...onella-UK.html

I checked my fridge. I've got some eggs, bought in Mercadona yesterday, which have a code which is only two numbers out from the ones published in the mail.

What to do?

steviedeluxe

According to the article you link to (even if it is the DM) the eggs all come from one source, and the problem's been dealt with

But I do like the spin being presented as clean UK food industry once again being threatened by cheap imports. Yes, that industry of BSE and (yes) salmonella. What was it Edwina said? "most of Britain's egg production is infected by the salmonella bacteria" Luckily for all of us, she was incorrect.

jackytoo

According to a report last year all spanish eggs are infected although they are fine if cooked. Runny boiled eggs aren't recommended. Many spanish restaurants used to make their own mayonaisse but now prohibited.

steviedeluxe

So the British tests on eggs are 100% ineffective then (as Spanish eggs are still being imported) ? You must have zero confidence in British methods.

jackytoo

I buy mine locally from a small farm. Lets say I am as confident eating eggs in the UK as I am in Spain. I am just amazed that the UK carries in buying from Spain when the salmonella has been around for at least a few years. Tiem they started labelling country of origin so that consumers can make their own choice.

Fred James

It seems they do. The codes that the DM quoted started with ES. I checked ours and they also were labelled the same way.

It seems that all eggs must be labelled in a certain way

http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/corpo...1?OpenDocument

I don't know what rules apply to packaging but these were eggs supplied to the catering trade so presumably retail packaging rules would not apply.

Domino

I thought Edwina was right and that salmonella was present in all eggs, it depends on the strain. She got hit by the wording of the statement.

I cannot imagine Tesco being dictated to over where they will source their food from. Price means PROFIT.

steviedeluxe

Well yes. I imagine that if Dave receives a call from the top knob at Tesco, he listens.

Domino

I am getting the impression that if Dave receives a call from anyone he listens.

Even that nice man Nick Whats-his-name doesn't seem to be talking to him either - or to anyone else

Domino

surely the problem with such foodstuffs is the way they are stored and transported. with the high temperatures in Spain and recently in Uk any bugs will carry on growing, especially if just stored in a stuffy warehouse and or high temp kitchen

with the short life span of an egg surely it is better to use locally produced product ??

steviedeluxe

I think that stage is long and gone, especially in the UK. Many products are flown in from Africa or even as far as south America. But having said that, organisations like Tesco do spend a lot of effort on keeping food standards high, and with good reason - they'd lose a lot of customers if they ever allowed dodgy supplies into their supermarkets. I don't particularly like Tesco for the way they treat some of their suppiers, but I can't fault their keenness to maintain food standards.

jackytoo

I bought a spray of flowers for a birthday yesterday, from Waitrose. They were flown in from Africa. Don't mind supporting third world countries, better than giving money to those crooked charities. Kenyan fine green beans are nice too

I do draw the line though at importing dubious foodstuffs.

Domino

surely you draw the line at slave wages in 3rd world countries as well ??

how much does it cost to fly things in from Africa - after all cheap as chips Ryanair don't go there (yet)

Kayak

Don't buy cheap eggs?

Dozens of people had salmonella from eggs from a egg factory in Zaragoza, the chickens where found to be in such as bad state, no feathers sitting in their own faeces etc

Mercadonna do good free range eggs and so does Carrefour in the brown boxes from Galicia. See how tough the shells are compared to the factory farmed ones!