Contaminated eggs means food crime is again in the news

The egg contamination story continues with the Food Standards Authority increasing their estimate from 21,000 contaminated eggs to 700,000 eggs now in the UK market.

Investigations are currently underway that are looking into accusations that a cleaning product called fipronil – which is banned across the EU from use in the production of foodstuffs – was being used illegally by a specialist cleaning company in Holland.

According to the FSA the risk to public health is minimal. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda have all withdrawn egg salads; Morrisons has withdrawn sandwiches and Waitrose has withdrawn sandwich fillers.

Whilst 700,000 eggs is only a fraction of the eggs that are consumed in the UK, this does leave supermarkets with the task of removing and arranging for the destruction of products now classified as Category 1 Animal By-Products (Cat. 1 ABP).

List of withdrawn products and use by dates:

• By Sainsbury’s Ham and Egg Salad – Use by 9-14 August 2017
• By Sainsbury’s Potato and Egg Salad – Use by 9-14 August 2017
• Morrisons Potato and Egg Salad – Use by up to August 13, 2017
• Morrisons Cafe Egg and Cress Sandwich – Use by up to and including August 11, 2017
• Morrisons Cafe Sandwich Selection – Use by up to and including August 11, 2017
• Waitrose essential Free Range Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich – Use by August 13 and 16, 2017
• Waitrose essential free Range Reduced Fat Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich – Use by August 14, 2017
• Waitrose essential Free Range Egg and Bacon – Use by August 14 and 16, 2017
• Asda baby potato and free range egg salad – Use by 9-13 August, 2017
• Asda spinach and free range egg snack pot – Use by 9-13 August, 2017
• Asda FTG Ham and Cheddar ploughman’s salad bowl – Use by August 9-13, 2017

Food crime and contaminated eggs results in Category 1 ABP

Category 1 ABP includes any foodstuffs that include animal by-products that have been contaminated as the result of an illegal treatment. In this instance, the eggs were illegally contaminated with a cleaning product that, as previously stated, is banned from use in the production of foodstuffs. This case is the perfect example of how food crime can affect numerous countries and multiple retailers.

Cat 1 ABP Treatment Options

The supermarkets affected must arrange for all contaminated products to be collected and processed at an Environment Agency approved waste treatment site. This is the type of work that we at Novus Environmental undertake on a routine basis. From collection of the contaminated goods by our ADR trained drivers and compliant vehicles straight through to incineration at our Cambridge waste treatment site.