500,000 eggs recalled in France over salmonella fear

More than 500,000 eggs on sale in a number of French supermarket chains have been recalled over salmonella fears.

Anyone who has bought medium-sized eggs recently from Atac, Auchan, Carrefour, Système U, Intermarché or E Leclerc stores is urged to check the batch number.

The affected eggs are marked with the identification code 3FRMDB08, and they have a recommended use-by dates between April 26 and May 14, 2020. The starting figure 3 indicates they came from caged birds.

If you have eggs with the appropriate batch code and use-by dates, do not eat them. Return them to the store from which you bought them for a refund.

During the confinement period in France, egg sales have surged. The Comité national pour la promotion de l’œuf (CNPO) recently announced a 44% spike in sales - or 185million additional eggs - in April, compared to the same month in 2019.

The CNPO said that - on top of increased demand - transport issues, staff reductions in packing centres and supply chain problems accounted for occasional supermarket shortages.