The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a Food Alert for Action on 10 October 2026 calling on businesses to withdraw and recall eggs from one Ukrainian food business after investigations found the eggs were contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis1. The alert is directed primarily at businesses that may hold the affected product, including caterers, manufacturers and wholesalers, and the FSA says it is working with local authorities to ensure it is actioned swiftly1.
The FSA states that most of the eggs are used within the catering supply chain, but some may be available for retail sale in small shops; they are not sold in large retailers such as supermarkets1. Its advice is that anyone who has bought any of the affected products should not eat them and should dispose of them at home, as they may be unsafe1. The FSA says eggs produced in the UK are not affected, and that eggs bought in major supermarkets are produced in the UK and therefore not affected by this outbreak1.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found Salmonella Enteritidis in samples of eggs from the Ukrainian supplier and carried out whole genome sequencing1. The FSA reports that the strain did not match the outbreak strains currently under investigation, but that the strain from the eggs was linked to 36 cases of Salmonella infection reported in England in 20261. Egg sampling formed part of the ongoing investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis thought to be linked to imported eggs1.
"We have identified Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs that were imported from a business in Ukraine and taken urgent action to protect public health and advised that any affected product on the UK market is withdrawn and recalled. It is important to say however that eggs produced in the UK are not affected."
The FSA restated its general advice for eggs not covered by the alert: eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk1. It says infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should continue to only eat raw or lightly cooked eggs if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme1. UKHSA describes the usual illness as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, which usually resolve without treatment after a few days, but says infection can occasionally cause more serious illness, including sepsis, requiring hospital admission, particularly in young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems1.
Why it matters for households
The alert concerns eggs from a single Ukrainian business that reached the UK mainly through wholesalers and catering, with some sold in small shops rather than large supermarkets1. Households that buy eggs in major supermarkets are told those eggs are UK produced and not affected1. For anyone holding affected eggs, the FSA advice is not to eat them and to dispose of them at home1. The agency's separate guidance on raw or lightly cooked eggs for infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults continues to apply to eggs outside this alert1. Background on the illness and its causes is set out in the guide to Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and other causes of illness, within the wider food section.
What happens next
The FSA says it continues to work with UKHSA and partners to follow the evidence and will take the action necessary to protect public health as its investigation progresses1. It says it continues to review wider measures relating to the source of the current outbreak and is working with international partners1. No further dates have been reported1.
Food Poisoning Bacteria
