A salmonella outbreak in Belgium linked to eggs farmed by Laerco BV has seen more than 230 people fall ill.
The egg producer issued a recall earlier this month for eggs stamped with four separate batch codes, with best before dates ranging from 8 May to 5 June 2026, due to the possible presence of salmonella.
Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) confirmed that 236 people have fallen ill in a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak.
Illustrating the scale of the outbreak, the affected patients range in age from under one to 96 years old. The cases were detected between 19 February 2025 and 11 May 2026, potentially pointing to a prolonged exposure period before the source was fully traced.
Salmonella was ultimately identified in a dust sample taken from a Laerco BV chicken coop, with analysis later revealing it was the same type found in infected patients.
A range of measures have now been applied at the egg producer following the positive sample, including FASFC supervision, limited contact with flocks, cleaning and disinfection of the premises before introducing new flocks, and eggs undergoing heat treatment, such as pasteurisation, before being placed on the market for human consumption.
According to a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the listed eggs have also been distributed to neighbouring France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The full list of affected batch codes can be found on the FASFC’s website. In its recall notice, the agency has urged affected customers not to consume the eggs, but to return them to the store where they bought them for a full refund.
