Expert Calls For Action To Prevent Further Cases

Illness experts have called for the Health Protection Agency to work quickly to ensure no more people are hit by a salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated eggs from Spain.

The authority has confirmed that more than 130 people have fallen ill as a result of eating the products since the start of this year, with a number of the affected thought to be located in and around Birmingham and Liverpool.

It has been advised that eggs with the code 3ES4504734A are returned to the shop from which they were bought, while caterers are urged to take back packs with the code 3ES450470000034A . The batches have been linked to a supplier in Spain.

Irwin Mitchell provides advice and support to a number of people who have suffered serious short and long-term illness as result of contracting salmonella through coming into contact with contaminated products both in the UK and abroad.

Katrina Elsey, an expert in product liability claims at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The impact of food poisoning like salmonella is often underestimated, leaving many people with symptoms and health problems that they never fully recover from.

“It is vital that authorities work quickly to ensure that the affected eggs are located and prevented from reaching consumers, while we would urge anyone who suspects they may have any of the items in question to follow the guidelines on offer.

“We would also hope that authorities both here and abroad thoroughly investigate this incident to determine how it came to occur and whether safety systems in place could and should have prevented it.

“Lessons need to be learnt which will ensure the public are safe from any potential harm.”