§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if any cases of invasive salmonella have been found in consignments of imported eggs in the current year.
§ Mr. GummerThe public health laboratory service is investigating consignments of imported eggs for the presence of invasive salmonella. In arrivals up to 8 November, they have identified invasive salmonella in 24 consignments of Dutch eggs, in two consignments of Belgian eggs and in one consignment each from France and Germany. One consignment of eggs from the Irish Republic was also found to be contaminated.
The number of isolations of invasive salmonella in eggs from our major overseas supplier (the Netherlands) is particularly worrying and I have taken this up with the Dutch Minister of Agriculture as a matter of urgency.
The Dutch veterinary services already have a monitoring and control programme for salmonella enteritidis in the breeding sector and those breeding flocks found to be infected are destroyed. In addition, a code of practice will be introduced shortly in the egg laying sector 190W which will place particular emphasis on all aspects of hygiene. Following my approach, the Dutch Ministry will be discussing with egg producers additional safeguards that will offer protection to consumers both within the Netherlands and in the United Kingdom. It is too early to say precisely what form these controls will take, but they will be developed in close co-operation with my chief veterinary officer.