A new report has revealed a dramatic surge in egg imports often produced to significantly lower food safety and hen welfare standards, creating what industry leaders warn is an urgent and escalating risk for UK consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and foodservice operators.
The Shell Shocked report, which also highlights the lack of effective border control inspections to prevent inferior products from entering the UK, has prompted the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) to urge the Government to take immediate action to stop these eggs flooding the British market.
According to the report, UK egg imports have risen 60% since 2021, increasing from approximately 1 billion to 1.6 billion eggs per year. Ukraine has emerged as a major source of this growth, with exports to the UK rising 65.6% in 2025 alone. These products, most of which are produced in conventional battery cages, illegal here since 2012, are increasingly competing with British eggs produced under the world-leading British Lion Code of Practice.
Shell Shocked also highlights how this surge has coincided with a series of egg-related food safety incidents across Europe. Recent examples include 123 confirmed illnesses in the UK in late 2025, traced to a single imported egg distributor (origin unconfirmed), banned antibiotic residues found in Ukrainian eggs entering European markets; ongoing Salmonella investigations in Sweden linked to Ukrainian imports; and more than 200 UK cases in 2024 associated with imported Polish eggs.
Nick Allen, Chief Executive of the BEIC, said: “This report highlights the real and urgent risks that inferior imports pose for consumers and the wider food industry.
“Any consumer would be appalled at what the Government is doing to undermine their safety. More than 90% of eggs produced in the UK are covered by the British Lion Code of Practice, one of the most comprehensive food safety schemes in the world. British farmers have invested hundreds of millions of pounds to meet these standards, including vaccination against Salmonella and not using conventional battery cages.
“Allowing lower-standard imports to undercut UK egg producers is not protectionism, it risks undermining consumer safety, public confidence in eggs and the resilience of our domestic food supply.
“It is time for the Government to act in the interests of consumers and ensure that any eggs and egg products entering the UK meet our standards, starting with stronger controls at the border.”
Food safety expert, Dr Lisa Ackerley, who reviewed import controls for the report, added:
“Most consignments are not physically inspected, testing is risk-triggered rather than systematic, and sampling frequencies are not publicly disclosed. As a result, contamination or residues may only be identified once illness occurs or overseas alerts are issued, meaning product may already be in kitchens, factories or on shelves.
“It is also worth noting that British Lion eggs are Food Standards Agency approved for vulnerable groups to consume runny, while imports are not. That is a serious food safety risk for imports.”
The Shell Shocked report calls on retailers, manufacturers, and foodservice operators to urgently review their sourcing policies for eggs and egg ingredients, strengthen traceability requirements, and ensure they are not inadvertently compromising consumer safety.
It also calls on the Government to align import standards with UK food safety and hen welfare rules and introduce systematic testing and effective inspections at the border to ensure eggs entering the UK meet the same high standards required under the British Lion Code of Practice.
For more media information and to view the full report email info@britegg.co.uk or visit www.egginfo.co.uk or call 020 7052 8899.
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