The scandal regarding the contaminated eggs in Europe is growing, as large quantities are withdrawn from the markets in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and France and joint efforts are envisaged to face the crisis.
Romanian authorities say no such produce has been imported. No contaminated eggs have been found on the domestic market. However, it seems the most important issue is the use of those eggs to prepare various products such as mayonnaise, salads, cakes, pasta, cookies. The poisoning substance, fipronil, is still having effect after cooking or other methods of preparing food, tvr.ro informs.
The scandal started in the Netherlands where 180 farms have been closed down and millions of chickens have been sacrificed, following the discovery of fipronil in dozens of units. It’s an insecticide forbidden to animals and birds for consumption. It was mixed into the legally plant decontamination product delivered to these farms by a Dutch company, Chickfriend.
Millions of chickens face being culled in the Netherlands as the scandal widens.
The latest news comes just a day after the UK’s Food Standards Agency revealed that a “very small number” of potentially contaminated European eggs have entered the UK, independent.co.uk informs.
The watchdog said the threat to public health was “very low” and that the number of eggs involved represents about 0.0001 per cent of the eggs imported into the UK each year.
Last week, Aldi and Lidl stores in Germany pulled millions of eggs from shelves amid fears they are tainted with traces of the pesticide Fipronil. Aldi said the measure was “purely precautionary” and pointed out that eggs sold in its UK stores are British.
The World Health Organisation considers Fipronil to be moderately toxic and says the insecticide can damage the kidneys, liver and lymph glands, while also causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and eye irritation if absorbed into the skin. It is used to kill fleas, lice and ticks and is not allowed to be used on animals intended for human consumption under EU rules.