Eggs and popular drink safe for consumption, says Abu Dhabi official

Abu Dhabi: A nationwide recall of eggs in the US has not affected the UAE egg industry, and no tainted eggs were found in the local market, an Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) official said on Wednesday.

The officials also clarified that Vimto, a popular beverage in the emirate, was safe for consumption.

The drink is popular at iftar when people end their fast.

"We have checked and confirmed that the recalled brands of American eggs have not been imported to the emirate [Abu Dhabi] or to any other emirates in the UAE," said Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director, Communication and Community Service at ADFCA.

An outbreak of salmonella that had sickened hundreds of people across the US had prompted a nationwide recall of 380 million fresh eggs, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) said.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and sometimes could be fatal, although no deaths had been reported in relation to the latest salmonella scare.

Al Reyaysa said rumours had spread in the UAE in the wake of egg recall in the US. There had also been wide-spread rumours that the drink Vimto was unsafe for human consumption. The authority had received calls from people enquiring about the product, he said.

A statement issued by the authority said that random specimens of eggs and Vimto had been collected from different stores and subjected to rigorous laboratory tests to see if they contained contaminants.

"Our tests proved beyond any shadow of doubts that Vimto is fully safe. This is corroborated by similar tests done in other emirates and countries in the region," the authority said.

Public vigilance

Al Reyaysa requested the public to report any concerns about food safety to the authority.

"We are not here to blame the manufacturers or people spreading rumours. But we find the truth and take immediate action to ensure the food safety in the emirate," he said.

The authority wanted to allay the fears of people about both these issues.

"We call upon the people not to give heed to rumours spread by vested interests," the statement said. In case of any food safety-relatedconcerns, people can call ADFCA at 800-555.

US recall

Eggs were recalled in the US which had come from a farm in Iowa which was linked to salmonella cases in California, Colorado and Minnesota, the USFDA said.

Subject to the recall were eggs under brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.

With input from Reuters