SPANISH eggs are once again being blamed for an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in the UK.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) claims that a supplier in Spain may be linked to 136 cases this year.

It is the latest in a long line of food poisoning outbreaks, which have killed 17 people since 2004.

The HPA’s Dr Joe Kearney, who is chairman of the outbreak control team, said: “The Spanish authorities have been alerted and measures have been taken to eliminate the risk of (further) contamination.”

The hens at the farm – which has not yet been named – have been culled and their sheds are being cleaned.

It comes just weeks after Spanish cucumbers were blamed for a deadly E.coli virus that killed 16 people and is rumoured to have cost Spanish fruit and vegetable exporters 200 million euros a week.

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