The egg industry has welcomed an announcement by the FSA that consumers can safely eat eggs even after their best-before date.

In an uncharacteristic move, the FSA announced on Wednesday that providing eggs were cooked thoroughly, they could be eaten a day or two after their best-before date. Previously, the advice was not to eat eggs after that date because of the risk of salmonella poisoning. “Salmonella contamination levels in UK-produced eggs are low, and salmonella is killed by thorough cooking,” the FSA said.

British Lion Eggs said the advice was a “huge endorsement” of British eggs, adding that the British egg industry had invested heavily in hygiene standards that had seen salmonella levels plummet.

Apart from eggs, most other foods could already be eaten safely after the best-before date because the phrase relates to quality not safety.

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