Belgian officials probe Salmonella breach

Belgian authorities are investigating to see if eggs contaminated with Salmonella may have ended up on the market.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) has issued a recall of all affected ‘t Hennehof free-range and barn eggs from consumers and ordered the destruction of eggs still present on farms or at points of sale.

FASFC traced the products and visited a laying hen farm to take samples. The same strain of Salmonella as in the patients was found in samples. Depo-Ei CV withdrew free range eggs with a certain code from sale and recalled them from consumers.

After an inspection of the egg company, Poultryfarms in Geel by FASFC, an accredited laboratory detected Salmonella in one of the company’s chicken coops at the end of January. FASFC then placed the company under supervision. The usual steps were taken, with eggs only allowed to be transported to a processing plant to be heated, which kills the bacteria.

However, FASFC, also known as AFSCA and FAVV, received information that eggs were still being put on the market. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office (parquet d’Anvers) was then notified and a judicial investigation has been opened.

Breach of requirements
The ‘t Hennehof poultry company is accused of violating the supervision conditions and of continuing to supply eggs to points of sale. Officials said stamps on eggs may have been counterfeited or falsified. The firm is alleged to have offered eggs in a vending machine at the farm, which poses a risk to consumer health.

The Federal Judicial Police (FGP) Antwerp conducted searches with the help of FASFC. This led to a recall. Egg sales at the company have been blocked and it is not allowed to send eggs to any processing plants.

The recall affects ‘t Hennehof brand eggs sold from May 1 with dates up to July 21 in cartons of six, 10, and 12. They were sold at retailers such as Carrefour and Spar.

This incident is not connected to a Salmonella outbreak in Belgium, also traced to eggs, as different companies are involved. Sciensano, the Belgian national public health institute, linked 67 illnesses in 2025 to eating eggs.

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