Bengaluru, Dec. 16 -- The state government has ordered extensive testing of eggs sold in the state after reports suggested that a specific brand may be using antibiotics, prompting concerns about food safety and public health, health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday.

The health department has already begun collecting egg samples from markets across Karnataka, including branded products, and has sent them for laboratory analysis. The move follows claims circulating publicly that some eggs could be unsafe or even carcinogenic, though officials stressed that there is no cause for alarm at this stage.

"There is information that a specific egg brand is using antibiotics. I have told officers of my department to get clear information ...