Imported eggs linked to human Salmonella cases prompt calls to stick to Scottish produce
The find has led the farmer’s union to call on customers to purchase eggs from Scottish and UK producers.
A series of human Salmonella cases have been linked to imported eggs, Scotland’s farming union as warned.
Between May and October this year, 123 cases of the bacterial infection were reported, two of which were found to be in Scotland.
The cases are believed to be linked and relate to a single distributor of imported eggs, according to investigations by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Public Health Scotland, Food Standards Scotland, and the Animal & Plant Health Agency.
The incident has prompted calls from the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFU Scotland) to remind customers about the quality of UK and Scottish eggs given the strict testing they are subject to.
NFU Scotland’s poultry chairman Robert Thompson said: “These outbreaks highlight why UK and Scottish eggs are the safest in the world.
“They all undergo strict Salmonella testing, and the majority also carry the Lion Code Stamp, adding additional assurance of compliance with UK enhanced safety standards. Imported eggs, largely enter the wholesale and food service sectors, do not meet the same rigorous requirements, creating unnecessary risks for public health.”
The union said the linked cases reinforce NFU Scotland’s broader call that all imported food should meet the same high-quality standards as UK and Scottish production, ensuring consumer safety and a level playing field for domestic producers.
This year, the union said it was concerned about increased reports of imported chicken and beef - albeit in small volumes - appearing on the shelves of UK supermarkets including Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s.
NFU Scotland’s long-running ShelfWatch campaign has consistently exposed a disconnect between public and homegrown food.
The research showed that while public support for Scottish produce remains high, supermarket sourcing policies often prioritise price over provenance.
The union’s study found across the eight big retailers, 20 per cent of own-label products are imported.
While some supermarkets demonstrated stronger commitment to local sourcing, there is concern that the gap may widen raising questions about their support for Scottish producers.
The ShelfWatch study found Aldi came out on top, stocking the highest percentage of Scottish produce, leading the rankings in every phase of research with an overall average of 40 per cent.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.