The UK is experiencing a growing salmonella outbreak, with more than 500 cases and two deaths linked to imported eggs. While public health officials have focused warnings on eggs, particularly those used in restaurants and cafes where origin cannot be checked, food safety experts say the wider risk of food poisoning extends well beyond eggs alone, and matters because related cases are rising sharply across the UK.

Environmental health officer Natalie Stanton warns that desserts made with raw or undercooked eggs, such as tiramisu and chocolate mousse, as well as fresh mayonnaise, aioli and hollandaise sauce made in-house, carry particular risk, especially for children, over-65s, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. She also flags soft cheeses like brie, camembert and goats' cheese, and unpasteurised milk and yoghurt, as higher-risk foods due to their moisture content and lower acidity. Salmonella cases are up nearly 20% in two years, with E.coli and Campylobacter infections also rising, and Stanton dispels the myth that reheating leftovers until "piping hot" always makes them safe, since some bacterial spores and toxins can survive cooking.