FSA names Spanish egg company in salmonella investigation

The Food Standards Agency has named a Spanish egg company as part of its investigation into this year’s increase in cases of a particular strain of salmonella enteritidis not seen in British flocks.

Both UK and Spanish authorities have been investigating the increase and Spanish officials have indicated that salmonella has been found in a particular flock on the production holding, Granja Avícola “El Angel”, in Spain. Spanish authorities will ensure that no further eggs from the affected flock are distributed until they are satisfied that contamination is no longer present in the flock and barns.

Back in the UK, the FSA has contacted companies in the UK that are known to have received eggs from the affected spanish supplier to ensure that they do not place these eggs on the market or that they send them to an authorised establishment to be pasteurised.

The investigation was prompted by the Health Protection Agency after seeing a total of 443 cases this year, compared with 137 cases in 2008. Fourteen clusters of cases in England and Wales are currently being investigated to determine if there is a common source of infection.