MPs denied fresh eggs on food safety grounds

Chefs at the House of Commons have been banned from cooking with fresh eggs for fear that they pose a health risk.

The ban means that MPs can't be served omelette, scrambled egg or soufflé made using fresh eggs because the dishes do not reach a core temperature of 75°C.

Instead scrambled eggs will be served using liquid pasteurised egg.

The Daily Mail reported that Tory MP Nicholas Soames, grandson of wartime leader Winston Churchill, branded the decision "absurd".

A Commons spokeswoman told the paper: "Dishes such as scrambled eggs, mousses or omelettes which do not reach a core temperature of 75°C are now made using pasteurised liquid egg, rather than fresh eggs. This is in line with Food Standard Agency advice."

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