In the past week, several egg producers have raised the alarm about salmonella outbreaks.
Over a million laying hens have been killed and several suppliers have been forced to recall eggs.
– The whole industry has caution as its watchword, so I don’t think you should be particularly careful about using eggs, says chief physician Johan Styrud.
On Wednesday, Sweden’s largest egg supplier CA Cedergren announced that they are being forced to kill all their hens after several attempts to get rid of the salmonella outbreaks.
This is over a million hens, which corresponds to 20 percent of all laying hens in Sweden.
Two days later, it was reported about a salmonella outbreak on a chicken farm on Gotland, which, following a decision by the Swedish Agricultural Agency, is forced to cull all around 30,000 chickens, reports P4 Gotland.
In the wake of the salmonella outbreaks, several food suppliers have been forced to recall eggs.
Serious for risk groups
Salmonella is characterized by stomach ache, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and general malaise – and the course of the disease is rapid.
As a rule, it is not dangerous to be affected. If, on the other hand, you are a newborn, very old or have another high-risk disease, it can be serious.
– If you belong to a risk group, you may have to be hospitalized and, in the worst case, die, so older people should have respect for this, says Johan Styrud, chief physician at Danderyd Hospital and chairman of the Swedish Medical Association.
No cause for concern
Johan Styrud, on the other hand, does not think that consumers need to be worried because food hygiene in Sweden is good, and the risk of falling ill is small.
– The whole industry has caution as its watchword, so I don’t think you should be particularly careful when using eggs
– Then it is absolutely worrying and a tragedy that you have to kill so many chickens.
For those who feel worried about their eggs at home in the fridge, Johan Styrud urges them to check which producers and dates the salmonella risk applies to. Otherwise, you can take comfort in the fact that the bacteria die if you boil or fry eggs.
– Live as usual and eat the eggs, says Johan Styrud.
Eggs recalled
Guarantee: Indoor free range, medium, 6-pack and 15-pack.
Crown eggs: Eggs from free-range hens indoors, 6-pack, 10-pack, 15-pack, 18-pack, 20-pack and 30-pack.
Lidl: Eggs from indoor free range hens, 15 pack.
Ica: ICA eggs, ICA Brunch eggs, ICA Breakfast eggs and ICA Basic eggs in different package sizes.
For all of them, it’s about eggs with a best-before date November 26 and with the stamp 2SE672-34 and 2SE672-35.
In the first place, consumers who bought the eggs in question are asked to return them to the store where they were purchased for a replacement.