Maldives has banned the import and sale of eggs with dirty outer shells after increasing number of reports of eggs imported into the country being covered in dirt.

Health ministry issued an announcement saying that eggs imported into Maldives should be in accordance with Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA)’s guidelines.

The ministry said that although eggs that are more than three to five weeks old are supposed to be stored in refrigerators, some sellers in the Maldives don’t follow the procedure, which the ministry said could pose health risks.

As part of measures to prevent dirty eggs from being imported and sold, health ministry decided that from January 15, importers should submit documents from food safety authorities of countries from where eggs are imported if the eggs are more than five weeks old. The documents would have to specify the procedures or techniques used to increase the shelf life of eggs.

This comes after stories began to circulate on social media about problems people were facing due to a batch of bad eggs imported into Maldives.