FSA stands by claims over Salmonella in Spanish eggs

A spokesman for the FSA reportedly said: “We found what we found and we stand by our results.”

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) has discredited the FSA report which states that one in every eight Spanish egg boxes tested positive for Salmonella in a survey of non-UK eggs.

A spokesperson from MAPA argued that the FSA report was based on out-of-date samples taken from a single packing centre in Valladolid which packages eggs from only three farms out of a total of 1,100 farms that export eggs.

The FSA reported that it found that eggs from Spain had the highest rate of contamination, with an estimated one in every eight boxes testing positive. The FSA did state, however, that the contaminated eggs came from just three Spanish farms.

“Our finding are backed up by those found by EFSA. Our testing was conducted on stamped eggs in boxes ready for sale. EFSA were testing for Salmonella at the actual farms. It makes sense that you find Salmonella in boxed eggs if the contamination is also found at the farm they came from,” an FSA spokesman said. “The problem with Spanish eggs has been ongoing.”