EGG SAFETY CONCERN
EGG prices drop due to public disquiet over salmonella contamination after Singapore authorities ordered importers to recall eggs from Malaysia. Consumer associations want greater monitoring at farms to allay fears.
CONSUMER groups have urged the authorities to conduct thorough checks on all egg farms to ensure that they adhere to the guidelines and standard operating procedures.
The call was made following reports of Singaporean authorities recalling eggs imported from two farms in the country due to the presence of Salmonella enteritidis (SE).
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said the move would help to allay public fears after hypermarket chain AEON was reported to have recalled eggs bearing the “CEM014” stamp, the second batch flagged by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
“I’ve checked with experts, who told me it’s an issue of cleanliness. (Live poultry) can carry Salmonella germs in their droppings, which can be transferred to eggs.
“Checks should be conducted on the farms on whether they follow the SOP and ensure that they clean the premises properly.”
He said checks should also be carried out on eggs in the market as they could be contaminated during the handling and distribution process.
“While the authorities have confirmed that there were no traces of SE in samples from one of the farms involved in the recall, steps should be taken to ensure that eggs sold here are clean and safe for consumption,” he added.
The New Straits Times had contacted the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to find out whether it was planning to conduct such checks soon.
The Veterinary Services Department recently conducted inspections and sampling for SE testing on all farms in question to ensure that the eggs produced there were SE-free.
It visited Lay Hong’s CES008 farm and CEM 014 farm owned by Linggi Agriculture to identify the cause of contamination, trace the source of SE infection and investigate the disease.
It checked the farms’ vaccination records, as well as their egg production and disease surveillance programmes.
SFA had directed four importers — An Hong Egg Supplies, Chuan Huat Poultry Farm Pte Ltd, Dasoon Pte Ltd and FE Supply Pte Ltd — to recall the eggs as a precautionary measure.
Market prices of eggs had dropped as demand plummeted over consumer fears.