At least 306 individuals in Belgium have been diagnosed with salmonella after consuming contaminated eggs, according to data from the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC).
The outbreak was traced to eggs produced by Laerco, a Geel‑based company in northern Belgium. Salmonella was first identified at the facility at the end of April, and in the following month a comprehensive recall removed all eggs from the site.
Contamination spreads
Initially, the contamination seemed limited to a single henhouse, yet new cases continued to rise rather than decline.
Subsequent laboratory testing identified the bacteria in a second henhouse, prompting FASFC to suspend farm operations and issue an additional recall of potentially contaminated eggs.
The affected products were distributed through major supermarket chains such as Colruyt, Delhaize, Aldi and Carrefour.
The precautionary recall has been extended to Luxembourg, and FASFC has alerted other European nations — including the Netherlands, France, Italy and Portugal — that may have received the eggs.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella are bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness (salmonellosis). Typical symptoms include diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps; severe cases may involve high fever, body aches and can be fatal.
These bacteria naturally reside in the gastrointestinal tracts of many farm animals and can contaminate food products such as eggs during rearing, slaughter or processing.
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