The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) says it is delighted with the FSA’s announcement that infants, children, pregnant women and elderly people can now safely eat raw or lightly cooked eggs that are produced under the British Lion Code of Practice.

The egg sector has long argued that the guidance should be changed to reflect the enormous steps the British Lion Code producers, packers and processors have taken to provide a perfectly safe product.

Robert Gooch, BFREPA’s chief executive, said: “This is a huge development because there will be millions of consumers who may have been avoiding eating eggs because of many years of conflicting advice. 

"But after today’s announcement no-one can be left in any doubt as to the safety of British Lion Code eggs.

“The Code of Practice that the scheme operates has been developed over nearly 20 years and is something that we should all be very proud of.

"We are pleased that the standards of production and food safety have been recognised and that all consumers can now feel 100% confident in eating our highly nutritious product."