Food safety head warns on danger of eating raw eggs

Eggs are safe once they are cooked thoroughly, according to the chief executive of the Food Safety Authority (FSA), Dr Patrick Wall. Only raw eggs that are used in food products that are uncooked before eating are unsafe, he said.

"I'd like to clarify and stress that boiling, frying or using eggs in omlettes and foods that will be cooked is perfectly safe," said Dr Wall. "Our concern is with caterers and others in the food sector who use hundreds of eggs each week for desserts and sauces that will not be cooked before eating. Our current advice to them is to use pasteurised liquid eggs for these products. Of course, the ideal situation is using eggs from salmonella-controlled flocks."

Dr Wall also said there was an opportunity now to keep the salmonella problem under control, if hotels, restaurants and supermarkets insisted the eggs they received from suppliers were salmonella-free.

"They should ask for a written assurance that the eggs are from a flock that has tested free of salmonella. The eggs in the Republic are all tested as they are laid, but this is not the case in the UK."

Dr Wall said the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland were very keen to do everything possible to ensure there were no further outbreaks. "It would be a pity if we decided to live with salmonella as they do in the UK. Several of the kitchens of the hotels where there were outbreaks were pristine, but this extra effort concerning eggs needs to be made." The FSA maintained, he said, that only a small number of eggs were infected. Therefore the greatest risk was with outlets which used large numbers of eggs. The more eggs the greater the likelihood of encountering an infected egg.

Dr Wall also advised that raw eggs should be refrigerated during transportation, storage and sale. This would slow the growth of salmonella inside the infected eggs, thereby reducing any risk to the consumer.

"Consumption of raw eggs and raw-egg products such as homemade mayonnaise, mousses, ice-cream, tiramisu, baked Alaska and sauces should be avoided by vulnerable groups such as the frail, elderly, young infants, pregnant women or those with any form of poor health," he said.

In a statement, the Irish Egg Association said it fully supported the view of the FSA that retailers and caterers should ensure, from suppliers, that poultry and eggs were sourced from flocks subject to salmonella-control measures. "The IEA would also support Dr Wall's view that eggs are highly nutritious and are safe once cooked," said the statement.

It said that members of the IEA observed a voluntary code of practice which involved "an aggressive control programme against salmonellas".

"The objective is to eliminate the bacteria which causes salmonella so that eggs can be safely used in all forms of food preparation."

The statement said retailers and caterers should fully satisfy themselves that the sources of their purchases were pursuing aggressive control programmes against salmonella.

The FSA operates a Food Safety helpline on 1800 33 66 77.