Concerns grow over risks of low imported egg standards

British Lion eggs, NFU and RSPCA have voiced their concerns in the national media with the increasing volume and low standard of imported eggs, following figures from the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Data shows that the number of eggs imported from Poland rose by more than 2,000%, from 46 consignments to 1,095 between 2021 and August 2023. The FSA has linked Polish eggs to a large Salmonella outbreak in the UK earlier this year.

Minette Batters, the president of the NFU, said she was “staggered” by the figures: “When the medical advice is to eat British Lion eggs [stamped to show they have been produced in accordance with a code of practice], why on earth would they be importing eggs produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK?”

Gary Ford, for the BEIC, said “it was very disappointing” to see imports growing, “particularly at a time when British producers have been struggling due to poor returns.”