Certain supermarket eggs subject to food safety notice due to salmonella concerns

Eggs from Sainsbury's, Aldi and Asda are subject to Food Standards Agency (FSA) advice that they may contain salmonella bacteria.

While it only affects a small batch of eggs sold in the three supermarkets, consumers are being advised to ensure they cook these eggs properly. Pregnant women, infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to salmonella.

The FSA isn't saying that you need to return the eggs. But, if you prefer to do so, you should contact the store from which they were bought.

You can read the full advisory notice on the FSA website.

Update 11 November: The FSA has extended this food safety notice to include eggs sold under the British Lion brand, produced in batches 0UK15270 and 3UK15270, as well as the originally affected batch 1UK15270.

Affected eggs will have their batch number stamped on the shell. Eggs from batch 3UK15270 were sold in England only.

Which eggs are affected?

Eggs with the batch number 1UK15270, 1UK15270 and 3UK15270 are affected. Even if you have disposed of the outer packaging of your eggs, the batch number is printed on each individual egg so you can check whether yours have been affected.

An example image of an egg from this batch can be seen below:

Affected eggs were only sold in specific stores in England and Wales, and only a small number of the eggs in the batch were found to have salmonella on their shells.

The complete list of products are found below.

Sainsbury's eggs:

Sainsbury's says the following packs were only sold in London and the South of England. The full list of stores can be found here.

Medium Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 17 November 2020

Large Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 09 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Very Large Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 09 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Medium Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Large Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 09 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Mixed Size Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 08 November 2020

Basics Mixed Size Barn Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 01 November 2020
• 06 November 2020

J James Mixed Size Free Range Eggs (pack size: 10)

Best before dates:

• 01 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Mixed Size Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 12 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 17 November 2020

Medium Free Range Eggs by Sainsbury's (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 10 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

SO Organic Large Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 17 November 2020

SO Organic Medium Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 18 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

SO Organic Mixed Size Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 14 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Aldi eggs

Aldi has not specified which stores the eggs were sold in.

Merevale Medium Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 04 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Merevale Large British Eggs (pack size: 10)

Best before dates:

• 07 November - 01 December 2020

Everyday Essentials Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 07 November 2020 - 01 December 2020

Merevale Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 11 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Merevale Medium Free Range Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 11 November 2020

Merevale Mixed Size Free Range Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 11 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Merevale Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 19 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Merevale Very Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 11 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 19 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Specially Selected Mixed Size Golden Yolk Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 03 November 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 09 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 11 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 18 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Specially Selected Mixed Size British Blue Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 02 November 2020
• 03 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 12 November 2020
• 13 November 2020

Asda eggs

Aldi has not specified which stores the eggs were sold in.

Asda Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 30 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 19 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Asda Medium Free Range Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 29 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 08 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 19 November 2020

Asda Mixed Size Free Range Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 04 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 19 November 2020

Asda Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 28 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 13 November 2020
• 19 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Asda Medium Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 15 November 2020
• 19 November 2020

Fairburn's Lincolnshire Mixed Size Free Range Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 01 November 2020
• 03 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 14 November 2020

Extra Special Mixed Size Golden Yolk Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 04 November 2020

Fairburn's Lincolnshire Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 12)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 03 November 2020
• 17 November 2020

Fairburn's Lincolnshire Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 03 November 2020
• 11 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 18 November 2020

Extra Special Mixed Size British Blue Free Range Eggs (pack size: 6)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 02 November 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 06 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 09 November 2020
• 11 November 2020

Costco eggs

Fairburn's Large Free Range Eggs (pack size: 24)

Best before dates:

• 08 November 2020
• 15 November 2020
• 20 November 2020

Fairburn's Medium Free Range Eggs (pack size: 24)

Best before dates:

• 20 November 2020

British Blue Mixed Size Free Range Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 29 October 2020
• 31 October 2020
• 04 November 2020
• 05 November 2020
• 07 November 2020
• 10 November 2020
• 12 November 2020

Morrisons eggs

W.M. Morrison Chippindale Mixed Size Eggs (pack size: 15)

Best before dates:

• 27 October 2020
• 01 November 2020
• 17 November 2020
• 19 November 2020

Fairburn Loose Eggs (pack size: sold loose)

Best before dates:

• 31 October 2020

What should I do?

First and foremost, the risk in this particular instance is low as only a small number of eggs from this batch were affected, according to the FSA.

However, if you think you may have eaten one of the affected eggs, you should look for the following symptoms of salmonella food poisoning:

• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting

Symptoms can start from a few hours after consuming food that is affected by salmonella.

If you suspect you may have food poisoning, you should contact your GP. NHS guidance says food poisoning is rarely serious and can be treated at home. It's important to remain hydrated if you are vomiting or have diarrhoea.

Sainsbury's and Aldi say customers can return eggs for a full refund, while the Asda websites does not state whether customers can return the eggs for a refund. We have contacted Asda and will update this news story if they respond.

Under the Consumer Rights Act, you have the right to a refund if food you have purchased or eaten is subject to a recall. This egg safety notice is not a recall, however, so your rights are not automatically granted.

For more on your rights, read our guide to food recalls, and to product recalls in general.

How to safely handle and cook eggs

You do not need to throw away the eggs if you haven't consumed them yet. The FSA says that the affected eggs are safe to eat if cooked thoroughly. This means you should cook the eggs until the whites and yolks are no longer runny. This, the FSA says, should eliminate the salmonella bacteria.

More generally, according to the FSA you should follow this best practice when storing and handling all eggs:

• Store eggs in the fridge
• Use eggs by their best before date
• Clean surfaces and equipment after using them with eggs
• Wash hands after handling eggs, their packaging and shells