187 words

Europe’s egg contamination scandal

Retailers in several European countries have pulled millions of eggs from supermarket shelves after it was discovered that some had been contaminated with the potentially harmful insecticide Fipronil

WHAT IS FIPRONIL?
Popular pesticide used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks, but banned by EU for use on
food-producing animals

2-NL-4015502


Investigators suspect chemical may have got into eggs through contaminated Dega 16 – detergent used to clean barns and kill red mites

Dutch regulator NVWA says one particular batch of eggs – with code 2-NL-4015502 – could pose “acute danger to public health”

Fipronil considered by WHO to be moderately toxic, but if eaten in large quantities can have dangerous effects on thyroid glands (1), liver (2), and kidneys (3)

Can also cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and epileptic seizures

1 2 3


Netherlands: Europe’s largest exporter of eggs and origin of outbreak. More than 300,000 hens have been culled and around 180 poultry farms temporarily shut

Dutch eggs removed from supermarkets
UK
Belgium
France
Sweden 
Germany
Switzerland


Sources: Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), BBC 
© GRAPHIC NEWS