Singapore – Several importers were directed by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Friday (Mar 12) to recall eggs from a farm in Malaysia after detecting the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the eggs.
SFA announced in a media release on Friday that the Salmonella bacteria was detected in eggs imported from Lay Hong Berhad Layer Farm Jeram in Malaysia.
“As SE may cause foodborne illness if food is consumed raw or undercooked, SFA has directed the importers to recall the product as a precautionary measure,” SFA noted.
The recall is ongoing. Meanwhile, the farm has also been suspended, said SFA. It will lift the suspension only when the farm has rectified the SE contamination issue.
The bacteria can be destroyed by heat, making the eggs safe to eat if cooked thoroughly. SE can only survive in raw and undercooked eggs, causing foodborne illness.
Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. “While the infection typically subsides within a week in most people, SE can cause serious infection in the vulnerable population such as the elderly, young children and those with weakened immune systems,” said SFA.
Consumers who have purchased the affected eggs from the following importers are advised to cook them thoroughly before consumption: Ang Seng Eggs Supplier, Dasoon Pte Ltd, Heng Guan Food Industrial Pte Ltd, and Lam Leng Trading Co.
Those who have consumed the eggs from the importers above and are unwell should seek medical attention, said SFA.
The affected eggs can be identified by the stamp “CES008” on the eggs.
Eggs imported into Singapore must come from accredited sources that meet SFA’s food safety and animal health standards.
“As part of our accreditation criteria and import conditions, farms need to be free from SE,” noted SFA. “Local egg farms are also required to have in place good farm management practices and strong biosecurity measures to prevent the risks of SE contamination.”
A grading system is in place to remove solid or cracked eggs and regularly test their hens for SE to remove eggs of SE-infected flocks from sale. Both imported and local eggs are subject to SFA’s food safety surveillance programme, which includes inspection and testing./TISG
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