The Food Standards Agency calls on businesses to withdraw and recall eggs from one Ukrainian food business as investigations find Salmonella Enteritidis contamination
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a Food Alert for Action to businesses, including caterers, manufacturers, wholesalers and consumers, as ongoing investigations found that eggs from one Ukrainian food business were contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.
Eggs in a tray
The Food Alert for Action contains the FSA’s advice and is directed primarily at businesses that may hold the affected product. It outlines the advice to withdraw and recall the affected eggs from the supply chain immediately. While most eggs are used within the catering supply chain, some eggs may be available for retail sale in small shops. These eggs are not sold in large retailers like supermarkets.
The FSA’s advice is that if people have bought any of the affected products, do not eat them and instead, dispose of them at home, as they may be unsafe.
Egg sampling was undertaken as part of the ongoing investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis which is thought to be linked to imported eggs.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found Salmonella Enteritidis in samples of eggs from one Ukrainian supplier and carried out whole genome sequencing. This showed that the strain did not match the outbreak strains currently under investigation.
However, the strain from the eggs was linked to 36 cases of Salmonella infection reported in England in 2026.
Jacquelyn McCormick, Head of Incidents at the Food Standards Agency said:
We have identified Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs that were imported from a business in Ukraine and taken urgent action to protect public health and advised that any affected product on the UK market is withdrawn and recalled. It is important to say however that eggs produced in the UK are not affected.
Eggs bought in major supermarkets are produced in the UK, and therefore not affected by this outbreak. This issue relates specifically to eggs from one business in Ukraine, which are primarily supplied through wholesalers and the catering supply chain, but also sold at small retailers.
We are urging businesses and consumers to follow our advice in the Food Alert For Action. Consumers should not eat these eggs and businesses should withdraw them, and where retail sales have occurred, recall them, as these eggs may be unsafe to eat.
Our advice for eggs not subject to the Food Alert for Action remains the same: Eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk. Infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should continue to only eat raw or lightly cooked eggs if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme.
We continue to work with UKHSA and partners to follow the evidence, and will continue to take the action necessary to protect public health as our investigation progresses.
Hannah Charles, Lead Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:
As part of egg testing conducted during our ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation, we confirmed the detection of S. Enteritidis (t5.8998) in eggs imported from Ukraine and shared this information with FSA immediately to inform further food safety action to protect public health.
We are urging the UK public to follow FSA advice which they have outlined in their Food Alert for Action.
The S. Enteritidis strain we identified in this batch of imported eggs is genetically different to S. Enteritidis strains linked to the ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation, but is associated with 36 Salmonella cases in England reported in 2026.
In England, all Salmonella detected from patients seen in hospitals or primary care are routinely analysed using whole genome sequencing, helping us identify and investigate potential outbreaks.
Most Salmonella infections cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, which usually resolve without treatment after a few days of illness. However, the infection can occasionally cause more serious illness, including sepsis, requiring hospital admission, particularly in young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
The FSA is working with local authorities to ensure the alert is actioned swiftly. The agency continues to review wider measures relating to the source of the current outbreak, and is working with international partners as part of its ongoing investigation.