Party season starts in earnest from here. Christmas lunches, office dos and private events stack up through November and December, orders get bigger and the van is out for longer. Egg volumes jump with them: canapés, desserts, hollandaise, hotel breakfasts. So it was awkward timing when a stock-check job landed on Saturday that every caterer needs to do this week.
On Saturday 10 October the Food Standards Agency issued a Food Alert for Action (reference FSA-FAFA-03-2026) ordering the withdrawal and recall of all shell eggs stamped 3UA1012066. They come from Yasensvit Ltd of Kyiv, Ukraine, and Salmonella Enteritidis was found in them. It covers every pack size and every best-before date. The strain has been linked to around three dozen illnesses in England this year.
This is a catering story rather than a supermarket one. The FSA says these eggs are not sold in the large supermarkets; they went mainly through wholesalers and the catering supply chain, plus some smaller shops. Some may have been repacked by UK businesses, so the outer box could carry a different name or packing-centre details. The box label may not tell you. The stamp on the shell will.
So walk the fridge, the dry store and the van today and turn over every tray. Anything marked 3UA1012066 comes out of use immediately, gets bagged, labelled "do not use" and kept apart until it is disposed of safely. The FSA says it must not be used, sold or sent on for further processing. Keep the delivery note, as local authorities are being asked to check withdrawals. UK-produced eggs are not affected.
Then ring your egg supplier and ask, in writing, where your eggs come from and whether any repacked stock could carry this code. It is also a good moment to check your HACCP paperwork actually covers supplier traceability for eggs; inspectors tend to look at exactly that during a live recall. If you want the official wording, it is on the FSA alerts page and GOV.UK.
On the van side, bigger party orders mean more trays travelling for longer on multi-drop days. Keep raw eggs on a low shelf, away from ready-to-eat food, on racking so trays are not crushed or left in a warm door pocket. If you were already short of cold space last December, or juggling frozen desserts and chilled canapés in one chiller, sort it now rather than in the week the bookings peak.
Quick checklist
- Check the shell stamp on every tray today, including trays in the van.
- Pull anything stamped 3UA1012066: bag it, label it, keep it apart, dispose safely.
- Keep the delivery note in case your EHO asks.
- Ask your egg supplier in writing about origin and repacked stock.
- Raw eggs low down, on racking, away from ready-to-eat party food.
Also in the news
- Grocery inflation edged up to around 2.5% in the four weeks to 4 October; butter and cheese fell fastest, handy for festive menu pricing. Source
- IGD and the FDF expect UK food inflation of around 5–6% in 2027, worth remembering before fixing prices for next year’s events. Source
If this December is going to need more cold space than last one, these three suit a party-season run and can be ready in time.
- 2023 (23 Reg) Ford Transit Custom Refrigerated Chiller Van: £24,995 +VAT
- 2024 74 Reg Renault Trafic Blue Dci 2.0 Ll30 Advance L2 H1 Refrigerated Freezer Van: £26,495 +VAT
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz Citan 110CDI L2 Base Cancelled Order Refrigerated Chiller Van: £31,495 +VAT
Call us on 01444 245555 to talk it through.
Sources: FSA orders urgent recall of Ukrainian eggs after Salmonella discovery – FarmingUK News, Food Alert For Action: To food businesses and consumers who have purchased shell eggs originating from Yasensvit Ltd, Ukraine, stamped with the code 3UA1012066 – Alerts, UK egg sampling discovers different Salmonella outbreak, FSA issues warning over imported Ukrainian eggs as Salmonella detected, FSA finds salmonella in Ukrainian eggs, UK Grocery Inflation Rises to 2.5% Amid Rising Household Costs
