The Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture has refused to identify three farms being inspected after an outbreak of salmonella. It has also insisted that it will not be ordering the slaughter of a flock of hens infected with the disease.
The hens tested positive for the disease but the Department said yesterday that it was a matter for the poultry industry.
A spokeswoman for the Department said: "We recognise that there is a risk of low-level contamination from eggs of salmonella, but it's there in the background. From time to time we will recognise that there is infection in a particular flock and that would lead to a slightly higher risk, but I must emphasise that it's not every egg from that flock which would be infected.
"Again it's only a certain percentage of eggs that would be infected, and a very low percentage."
She emphasised that in an infected flock "as few as one egg in 1,000" might carry the disease. The government says it is reasonably sure that eggs do not pose a risk. While the Department insists that it will not order the slaughter of the hens, the Northern Ireland poultry industry is likely to put pressure on the government to reverse its decision. The latest scare comes after a number of outbreaks in the Republic. The Food Safety Authority's support team is in Galway trying to trace the source of the salmonella outbreak at an Army barracks. Fifteen soldiers remain in hospital following the incident.
A second outbreak was confirmed on Wednesday at a wedding reception in the mid-west. The hotel, which is the focus of an investigation, has issued a statement saying that the Mid-Western Health Board tests have not produced any findings as to the source of the infection.
The Fitzpatrick Group Shannon Shamrock Hotel at Bunratty, Co Clare, said the health board was continuing its investigations into reported cases of salmonella poisoning following a function at the hotel last Friday.
The management and staff were co-operating fully with the health board. The statement said: "On the weekend in question, the hotel served hundreds of meals to two further functions as well as in the restaurant, bars and lounge area with no apparent ill effects. Several food items were common to all areas." The Mid-Western Health Board has confirmed four cases of infection to date from 80 guests at the wedding who reported ill. Further tests were being done to determine the exact type of salmonella. The infection was not confirmed in any people outside the group who attended the wedding reception, the health board pointed out.