New EU salmonella rules for eggs
New EU rules prohibit the selling of table eggs that have not been monitored for the presence of salmonella. The new rule – which came into force on January 1 this year – are part of a drive to speed up the fight against food poisoning through salmonella.
Eggs that are not screened for salmonella can only sold in processed form, and pasteurised to eliminate risks to consumers. The same rules apply to eggs from flocks which have tested positive for salmonella enteritidis or salmonella typhimiruim.
The European Commission hopes the move will considerably reduce incidences of salmonellosis – the human form of salmonella. The restrictions will also apply to imports of eggs from third countries which do not comply with the new EU regulations. Norway, Croatia and Switzerland are the only third countries which have provided guarantees on the safety of their eggs, and so imports of table eggs into the EU will only be allowed from these countries.
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