Eggs from all Sanlind farms have been infected with salmonella, according to the Veterinary and Food Board (VTA). Salmonella had been detected at two of the Valga company’s farms. Now the VTA says output from all Sanlind OU has been infected, including eggs already purchased from stores.
The VTA stated the possible contamination concerns Sanlind eggs labeled with product code 3EE16711 and with a best before date between October 26 and November 2. The farms in question are called Kodutalu, Kodukoha, Pisihaa, Hiigelhaa and Huva.
Immediate restrictions were imposed on the company after the latest revelations; last week the company’s head, Andres Puksov, expressed optimism on being able to resume trade, although around 200,000 chickens were being sent to Poland for slaughter.
Adequately cooked eggs containing salmonella are reportedly not necessarily harmful to consume; problems arise with undercooked or raw eggs, often used in recipes such as steak tartare.
Salmonella bacteria are apparently eliminated at temperatures of 70 degrees C or higher. To achieve this, eggs should be boiled for at least 10 minutes, longer for the larger sized eggs, or fried properly on both sides.
In July an outbreak of salmonella poisoning was traced to popular Tallinn restaurant NOA. (ERR/Business World Magazine)