Published: 13:54 BST, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 14:13 BST, 21 August 2026
Vulnerable Britons have been urged to avoid runny eggs while eating out amid a deadly Salmonella outbreak.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) chiefs said over 65s, children under five, pregnant women and people with health conditions should avoid the eggs, as well as mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce, when eating from cafes, restaurants and takeaways.
The warning comes as one Briton has died and more than 200 have been struck down with salmonella food poisoning, in what health chiefs have declared a national outbreak.
It is thought that the spread is being driven by imported eggs but the Government has not yet confirmed the country of origin.
FSA chiefs say anyone eating out should also avoid products that may contain eggs.
However, well-cooked eggs remain safe to eat, they said.
Experts have told the Daily Mail that UK-produced eggs, which have a British Lion mark, are also safe.
FSA chief scientific adviser Ian Young said the current outbreak is 'unusually large and rapidly increasing' as he warned 'people need to be careful.'
Vulnerable Britons have been urged to avoid runny eggs while eating out amid a deadly Salmonella outbreak
He told the BBC: 'If people are eating out or consuming eggs or egg-containing products from cafes and restaurants then for those people in particular who are young, elderly, pregnant or vulnerable, it's important to make sure that any eggs or egg products that you consume in those settings have been very well cooked.'
However, he stressed that British eggs from supermarkets are not linked to the outbreak and remain safe to consume.Â
The Government was previously warned of the dangers of imported eggs in a major report published earlier this year by industry experts, which highlighted 'significant' safety risks of importing eggs from countries like Poland and Ukraine.
While most eggs on supermarket shelves are produced in the UK, increasing quantities are being brought in from overseas where farmers use practices that are banned in the UK.
Egg imports to the UK have risen by 60 per cent since 2021, data shows. Exports from Ukraine jumped by 65 per cent in the last year alone.
