Good eggs

Abstract

Food Science and TechnologyVolume 35, Issue 4 p. 54-57 FeaturesFree Access Good eggs First published: 04 December 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3504_15.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Since its launch more than 20 years ago, the British Lion Quality Code of Practice continues to ensure that eggs and egg products in the UK are produced to the highest standards of food safety. Sterling Crew reviews the impact of the scheme on egg production, consumption and safety. Humans have eaten eggs for thousands of years. Many types of egg from a range of bird species, including ducks and quail, are available in the marketplace but the most common choice is that of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), the most populous bird on the planet. Eggs are readily available and inexpensive; they play an important part in a healthy, balanced diet in many parts of the world. They are highly nutritious, containing 55-80 calories per egg depending on size and many key nutrients, such as high quality protein, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, choline and omega-3 fatty acids1. Egg production Eggs are a popular food choice in the UK and are an integral part of our national diet. In 2020 we consumed 12.9bn eggs laid by a national flock of around 42m, with a retail sales value of £1.3bn2. Since 2006, egg consumption in the UK has grown year on year rising by 3bn eggs with an average annual growth rate of around £260m. The value of retail egg sales, largely in the multiple retailer, is just over £1bn, up by approximately £400m since 2004. The majority of eggs are sold through the retail channel, equating to about 59% of total sales, up from 48% in 2004, while foodservice accounts for 21% and food manufacturing 20%. A fifth of all UK eggs are processed for use in thousands of products from quiche to ice cream. The free range egg market has shown remarkable growth and now represents 71% (including 2% organic) of retail egg sales, highlighting the increasing importance that consumers are placing on provenance and production systems. British Lion mark The British Lion Quality Code of Practice is the UK's most successful food safety scheme3. Since it was launched in 1998, more than 130bn British Lion eggs have been sold; over 90% of UK eggs are now produced under the scheme. The British Lion scheme has been responsible for a drastic reduction in the presence of Salmonella in UK eggs and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that eggs produced under the scheme are safe to be consumed runny, or even raw, by vulnerable groups4. All eggs that carry the British Lion mark (Figure 1) have been produced under the stringent requirements of the Code of Practice. It has the highest standards of food safety (Table 1) consolidating the latest, best scientific, veterinary and food safety advice. The Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Egg mark - labelling of eggs under the British Lion Quality Code of Practice Table 1. Some of the controls introduced by the British Lion Code of PracticeCourtesy British Lion eggs SOME OF THE CONTROLS INTRODUCED BY THE BRITISH LION CODE OF PRACTICE Laying farm conditions requirements cover flock health and animal welfare routines designed to avoid Salmonella infection. Breeding flocks: regular testing and slaughter for positive identification of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium. Pullet rearing: vaccination against Salmonella species plus records that accompany all birds on transportation showing origin, hygiene and pest control measures. Feed control: mandatory exclusion of ingredients sourced from mammals and birds, plus measures aimed at preventing on farm contamination. Registration: records accompany birds through the chain, with traceability for all individuals and their products. Audits: independent and self-audit schedules include unannounced visits by scheme regulatory officials on farms. Staff training: includes welfare and husbandry measures designed to promote animal health and prevent infection, with contingency plans to cope with emergency situations. A staff ‘training passport’ is kept. Packing centre controls: strict hygiene and testing controls with record keeping that shows regular egg testing from each flock of origin (at least 20 eggs per flock per quarter year) Egg mark: only eggs produced under the scheme show the red Lion mark stamped on the shell, giving origin, production method and date for consumer information Cool chain maintenance: records show maintenance of appropriate storage throughout the egg cycle, from flock to retail/ service customer. Code covers the entire production chain and ensures strict food safety controls including the guarantee that hens are vaccinated against Salmonella and a ‘passport’ system ensuring that all hens’ eggs and feed are fully traceable. The scheme is independently audited to ISO17065, which is an accreditation standard for certifying the quality of a product or service. The British Lion Code of Practice has more than 700 auditable criteria and 80 critical non-conformances. This suite of measures has been responsible for effectively eliminating Salmonella from UK eggs. The Code of Practice was introduced following the scare over Salmonella in eggs in 1988 to restore consumer confidence and eradicate Salmonella from the UK egg supply chain. It covers the entire journey of the egg from breeding to hatching, to pullet rearing, to egg production on the farm, to packaging and to final processing. It has been a food safety success story in domestic egg production. In the late 1990s, egg producers took a proactive stance to overturn the bad press and Salmonella concerns, instituting health and flock welfare initiatives to win back British consumer trust. Risk from Salmonella Salmonella is a gram negative rod-shaped bacterium that can cause the illness salmonellosis in humans. It is usually characterised by acute onset of fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting and can be life threatening, particularly in infants and the elderly. It is one of the four key global causes of diarrhoeal diseases and is estimated to account for approximately 153m cases of gastroenteritis and 57,000 deaths globally each year5. It is the only relevant zoonotic pathogen of fresh eggs. Salmonella bacteria are found in the guts of poultry and livestock. Birds and animals can be infected through feed, in hatcheries, or through faeces during transport to abattoirs, where slaughter and processing can also spread the infection. There are thought to be two possible routes for Salmonella contamination of the contents of intact eggs: by horizontal transmission, when the bacterium penetrates through the eggshell, and by vertical transmission, when the egg is contaminated as a result of Salmonella infection of the hens’ reproductive organs before the eggs are covered by the shell. Salmonella is normally present at very low initial concentrations in fresh eggs and is thought to be unable to multiply in any foods at temperatures less than 7°C. The emergence of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination associated with chicken meat and eggs in the late 1980s caused one of the largest and most persistent global epidemics of foodborne infection. A scare over the presence of Salmonella in eggs in 1988 caused a dramatic collapse in egg sales, which fell by 60%; 4m hens were killed and 400m eggs were destroyed. There followed a series of warnings from government for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, young children and elderly people, to avoid eating them if they were raw or runny. The scare followed a statement from the then junior Conservative Health Minister, Edwina Currie, who declared: ‘Most of the egg production in this country, sadly, is now affected with Salmonella.’ Mrs Currie's statement overstated the danger and led to her resignation a fortnight later. But there was a problem with Salmonella in eggs6 and by the 1990s producers had started a hen vaccination programme, which, combined with other control measures, resulted in a decline in numbers of infections. In 2014, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a report7 describing UK egg production under the British Lion scheme as being among the safest in the world. In 2017, the FSA announced a change to its advice about eating eggs, due to the significant reduction in levels of Salmonella in British Lion eggs. The advice followed a year's risk assessment by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food8 and is the result of extensive food safety measures introduced within the British Lion Code of Practice since its launch. Heather Hancock, who was Chairman of the FSA at the time, commented ‘it's good news that now even vulnerable groups can safely eat UK eggs without needing to hard boil them, so long as they bear the British Lion mark or have been produced to equivalent standards. The FSA has thoroughly reviewed the scientific evidence about the safety of these eggs, and we're confident that we can now change our advice to consumers. In 2017, millions of hen eggs and egg products had to be pulled from supermarket shelves in more than a dozen European countries after it was discovered that some had been contaminated with fipronil. Vulnerable groups can now safely eat raw or lightly cooked eggs produced under the British Lion Code of Practice. However, it is unclear whether consumers understand this message – some may be confused with the advice and assume that ‘all’ eggs are safe to eat. Vulnerable groups should still avoid raw or lightly cooked hens’ eggs that are not marked British Lion or a demonstrable equivalent scheme and avoid eggs from other birds, such as duck or quail. This includes the ‘backyard’ eggs that are sold outside people's houses, which are not in the scheme. These eggs should still be cooked thoroughly until the white and yolk are solid. The UK is one of the few countries to have an assured scheme to minimise the risk of Salmonella across all production systems. In Poland between 2016 and 2020 an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis was associated with eggs. It affected 18 countries, including the UK, and was linked to two deaths and 1,656 infections, making it the largest reported European outbreak of Salmonella in eggs. Risk from pesticides Fipronil (C12H4Cl2F6N4OS) is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. It is often used to de-flea household pets and is also effective at treating red lice, which are commonly found in poultry. The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes fipronil as ‘moderately toxic’ to people if eaten in large quantities. It can have potentially dangerous effects on the kidneys, liver and thyroid glands. Fipronil is banned by the UK and the European Union for use on animals destined for human consumption, such as chickens. The Maximum Residue Level (MRL) of fipronil in eggs is set at the detection limit of 0.005 mg/kg in the European Union (Regulation (EC) No 396/2005). Egg processing for manufacturing Courtesy British Lion eggs In 2017, millions of hen eggs and egg products had to be pulled from supermarket shelves in more than a dozen European countries after it was discovered that some had been contaminated with fipronil. This included eggs and egg products imported into the UK. The contamination was discovered on Dutch poultry farms producing millions of eggs a week. It led to more than 3m chickens being slaughtered and cost tens of millions of euros in damages. Two disinfection firms in the Netherlands were subsequently found to be liable. Poultry farmers were misled into believing that a mixture intended to control red mites was based on natural eucalyptus and menthol. The treatment was in fact a pesticide known as Dega-16, which contained the contaminant fipronil. All the contaminated eggs originated in Europe. The FSA reported that 700,000 contaminated eggs were imported into Britain, but concluded that it was ‘very unlikely there is any risk to public health from consuming these foods’ noting that the Dutch eggs were not sold as shell eggs in the UK, but used in foods with many other ingredients, mostly sandwich fillings or other chilled foods. Other chemical related egg scares have periodically arisen across Europe. There have been a number of instances of dioxin contamination in eggs and egg products over the past decade. In 1999, dioxin contaminated feed was found to have been given to chickens, pigs and other farm animals in Belgium. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer. For this reason, maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs have been in force since 2006. According to Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, the maximum permitted levels applying to chicken eggs are – sum of dioxins: 3.0 pg/g fat and sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs – 6. 0 pg/g fat. If food exceeds the maximum levels, it must not be placed on the market and, if already present in the marketplace, must be withdrawn. The requirements of the Lion Code have meant that there have been no such cases in British Lion eggs or egg products. There have been a number of cases of fraudsters operating in the egg industry, replacing premium free range eggs and organic varieties with cheaper eggs. Egg quality Under UK and European law, there are two classes of egg quality: A & B. Class A eggs are higher quality and are sold as shell eggs. They are naturally clean, fresh, and internally perfect with shells intact and the air sac not exceeding 6mm in depth; additionally the yolk must not move away from the centre of the egg on rotation. This is checked by ‘candling’ the egg. Class B eggs are broken-out and pasteurised. There are also the so called industrial eggs, which are for non-food use only in products such as shampoos. The freshness of the British Lion egg is guaranteed by a best-before date, 28 days from lay, which is stamped on the shell and is supported by the cool chain starting at the farm. Authenticity and food fraud Food fraud can range from isolated acts of dishonesty by individual offenders, to organised illegal activity coordinated by sophisticated criminal organisations. Fraud can involve dishonesty at any stage in the production or supply of food and includes substitution with a cheaper product and misrepresentation. There have been a number of cases of fraudsters operating in the egg industry, replacing premium free range eggs and organic varieties with cheaper eggs. Recently a trader was convicted of selling contaminated eggs as fit for human consumption – a serious incident with potential food safety implications. The British Lion Code of Practice has a full traceability and compliance system that includes mass balance checks, additional auditing, a database of egg movements and on farm marking. This helps prevent food manufacturers becoming the victims of food fraud and is paramount to protecting public trust and maintaining fair, sustainable business practices. Conclusions There are still a significant number of global outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with the consumption of eggs and egg products. The vast majority of the planet's population do not have access to eggs produced to the comprehensive Code of Practice of the British Lion scheme, which demonstrably enhances levels of food safety, minimises the risk of Salmonella and gives consumers confidence in the provenance of their eggs. Most consumers have to rely on good purchasing and hygiene practices to try to reduce the risk9. The British Lion scheme is a stringent, robust system of routine testing, welfare and husbandry improvements, extensive vaccination of all poultry and careful monitoring and auditing at all steps in the egg laying chain from breeder flocks to packaging and processing. The most effective way to avoid salmonellosis is to choose eggs produced to the highest standards of food safety, such as British Lion eggs. Sterling Crew, FRSPH.FIFST.FCIEH. MSOFT CenvH. CSci email [email protected] Independent Scientific Advisor British Lion. Chair of the Advisory Board of the Food Authenticity Network. Co-founder of Kitchen Conversation, Managing Director of SQS. Strategic Advisor at Dynamic Risk Indicator and the Shield Safety Group. Independent Scientific Advisor and board member at Campden BRI. Scientific and Regulatory Advisor to OLIO. Audit board member on Eurofins governance board. Trustee board member of the CIEH. Chair, Institute of Food Science and Technology's Food Safety Group, member of its editorial panel and immediate past Vice President. Last year Sterling was awarded the prestigious IFST Honouree Fellowship. References 1NHS. The healthy way to eat eggs. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/eggs-nutrition/ 2British Lion. UK Egg industry data. Available from: https://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-facts-and-figures/industry-information/data 3British Lion Mark Code of Practice Version 7. Available from: http://www.britisheggindustrycouncil.co.uk/download/LCoPV7.pdf 4Food Standards Agency. New advice on eating runny eggs. 2017. Available from https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20171207160203/https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2017/16597/new-advice-on-eating-runny-eggs 5World Health Organisation. Fact Sheet Salmonella (non-typhoidal). Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salmonella-(non-typhoidal) 6Lane C., LeBaigue S., Oluwasen B., Esan Awofisyo A.A., Adams, N.L., Fisher, I.S.T. et al. 2014. Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis, England and Wales, 1945–2011. Emerging Infectious Diseases 20: 1097- 1104 7 EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards. 2014. Scientific Opinion on the public health risks of table eggs due to deterioration and development of pathogens. EFSA Journal 12. Available from: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3782 8Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. An update on the microbial risk from shell eggs and their products. Available from: https://acmsf.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/acmsf-egg-reportv1.pdf 9Cardoso, M.J., Nicolau, A.I., Borda, D., Nielsen, L., Maia, R.L., Møretrø, T. et al. 2021. Salmonella in eggs: from shopping to consumption – a review providing an evidence-based analysis of risk factors. Available from: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12753 Volume35, Issue4December 2021Pages 54-57 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation