Fipronil : eggs contaminated in France also

Elenat/epictura

Published the 08.08.2017 at 13: 20

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The contaminated eggs have crossed the border. While the minister of Agriculture indicated a few days ago that France was not concerned by the scandal of food that affects the netherlands and several european countries, the French authorities have reneged on their initial statement of optimism. According to a press release from the ministry, 13 batches of eggs contaminated with the pesticide have been transported to France.

These batches have been supplied to two establishments manufacturing egg products of the Vienne and the Maine-et-Loire between the 11 and the 26 of July 2017, says the ministry, which cannot be determined at this stage if these products are found in the trade, and what amount of pesticide they contain.

Ongoing investigations

“Investigations are being carried out in these establishments in the services control of the ministry of Agriculture to assess the situation (the products concerned and their destination), and block the product at issue for purposes of analyses,” said the release.

On 28 July, a farm in the Pas-de-Calais has been placed under surveillance immediately after the notification by the farmer from the use of this product by its belgian supplier. “No eggs from this farm has been put on the market, the results of the analyses in progress will be known at the end of the week,” explains the ministry.

Risk assessment

The authorities affirm that ” the presence of traces of fipronil, is not in itself a risk ; only the analyses involved will determine whether the level of contamination of these products is likely to present a risk to the consumer “.

In the netherlands, the agency for food security (NVWA) has, however, explained that some batches of eggs exhibited a rate of fipronil ” so high that their consumption poses a serious danger to public health “.

The european agency for food safety (Efsa) was asked to assess the risks. In addition, France has announced to have entered the Coves to obtain an opinion on the risks to human health associated with the ingestion of eggs or products contaminated with fipronil.

Fipronil is a chemical substance used in veterinary products. It is found especially in products flea control for dogs and cats, but its use for the treatment of animals destined for the food chain, such as hens, is prohibited. He never would have had to be used on poultry.

Hundreds of thousands of chickens slaughtered

More than 60 farms in Belgium and 180 in the netherlands were blocked because of the presence of suspected of fipronil. Hundreds of thousands of chicken had to be slaughtered in the netherlands. In Belgium, a criminal investigation is pending for fraud on the part of the supplier of the product insecticide used. He could have knowingly added fipronil to its product base to increase the effectiveness.

The belgian and Dutch authorities are conducting parallel investigations to trace the marketing channels of the contaminated lots. To this day, several european countries are involved : Belgium, Germany, the netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and, most recently, France.