Several egg producers have been prosecuted for falsifying best before dates putting hundreds of people at risk of food poisoning.
Under UK law, ‘Class A’ eggs — the only grade supermarkets, shops and pubs can legally sell — must have a ‘best before’ date of no more than 28 days after they are laid.
But in a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent practices, experts discovered businesses had re-labelled their eggs and extended the ‘best before’ dates.
Four poultry farm and egg packaging wholesalers across England have now been slapped with fines worth thousands of pounds and suspended prison sentences.
It is not known exactly which shops or supermarkets the tampered eggs had been sold to, prior to health inspectors making the discovery or the number of eggs impacted.
The main risk of eating bad eggs is salmonella, a group of bacteria that infects the gut of farm animals.
The nasty bug usually causes a fever, sickness and diarrhoea that clears up in days. However, it can be fatal.
On average, it takes from 12 to 72 hours for the symptoms to develop after swallowing an infectious dose of salmonella.
Under UK law, ‘Class A’ eggs — the only grade supermarkets, shops and pubs can legally sell — must have a ‘best before’ date of no more than 28 days after they are laid
Salmonella are a group of bacteria that infect the gut. It is often triggered by contaminated food or water. Symptoms of infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever
It usually lasts between four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
But if you become seriously ill, you may need hospital care because the dehydration caused by the illness can be life-threatening.
According to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who this week revealed the scale of the tampering, all prosecutions occurred earlier this year.
In March, Phillip Hoyland of Summerley Top Farm, Derbyshire pleaded guilty to fraud charges and was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months.
The charges arose following routine inspections carried out by APHA and subsequent investigation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Counter Fraud and Investigation Team.
In the same month, Barradale Eggs Ltd of Ashford, Kent, was prosecuted at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, ordered to pay a fine of £466 and costs of £85.
APHA inspectors had discovered a batch eggs had been re-packed and the original ‘best before’ date extended—contrary to egg marketing legislation.
In January, Holyfield Farm Fresh Eggs Ltd, based in north London, also pleaded guilty to three charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court and was issued a fine of £2,000.
According to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who this week revealed the scale of the tampering, all prosecutions occurred earlier this year. Pictured, APHA headquarters in Weybridge
Inspectors found the original ‘best before’ date had been extended by four days.
Field Farm Eggs, based in South Newbald, East Yorkshire, meanwhile, was prosecuted at Hull Magistrates’ Court in February.
Inspections in December had uncovered a batch of class A eggs was re-packed and the ‘best before’ date unlawfully extended.
The defendant was found guilty of two offences and fined £1,000, with a victim surcharge of £400 and costs of £85.
Responding to the prosecutions, Aled Edwards, head of England field delivery, at APHA, said: ‘It’s essential that consumers can trust the eggs they purchase are fresh, safe to eat, and clearly and accurately labelled.
‘These cases demonstrate our robust enforcement procedures; across the country we have 35 EMIs who work in our field delivery teams and have the important role of ensuring regulations in the egg industry are adhered to.
‘I welcome these sentences from the courts and hope they will act as a deterrent to others.’
The durability of eggs depends on several factors including their storage conditions and the handling
Even the government’s own food safety watchdog, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) says eggs can be safely eaten up to two days past their best before date provided they are cooked thorough to the point the yolk and white are solid.
Food safety campaigners also say a simple test involving a bowl of water will allow people to use eggs they might otherwise throw away.
They claim that eggs that sink to the bottom of the bowl remain good to eat.
