Several tons contaminated eggs sold in Denmark

Chicken Eggs contaminationChicken Eggs. Photo: Pixabay.com

Several tons of contaminated eggs sold in Denmark, none reported in Norway

20 metric tons of eggs contaminated with fipronil, originating from the Netherlands, are sold in Denmark, according to the Danish Food Safety Authority (Fødevarestyrelsen).

 

It is the Danish company Danæg Products, which has purchased a total of 20 ton of boiled eggs from a Belgian subcontractor that is affected, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration writes in a press release on Thursday.

According to the company, the products are mainly sold to canteens, kitchens, cafes and catering companies, but have in all likelihood not been sold in Danish supermarkets.

Not dangerous to most people

Samples analyzed in the Netherlands have shown traces of fipronil in the products, but not enough to be considered a danger to most people. Because the fipronil level is considered as being illegal, the company has to recall them.

The Danish Food Authority earlier this week considered that contaminated eggs from abroad was not likely exported to Denmark. That conclusion was based on information available from Belgium and the Netherlands at the time, and was obviously not correct. There are no reports of imports to Norway, but the Norwegian Food Authority are also scrutinizing the matter.

The Danish Food Authority state that they will follow the situation carefully, and no longer rule out that they will reveal more cases of imported products containing fipronil.

Fipronil

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. Fipronil disrupts the insect central nervous system by blocking GABA-gated chloride channels and glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channels. This causes hyperexcitation of contaminated insects’ nerves and muscles. Fipronil’s specificity towards insects is believed to be due to its greater affinity to the GABA receptor in insects relative to mammals and its effect on GluCl channels, which do not exist in mammals.

Because of its effectiveness on a large number of pests, Fipronil is used as the active ingredient in flea control products for pets and home roach traps as well as field pest control for corn, golf courses, and commercial turf. Its widespread use makes its specific effects the subject of considerable attention. This includes ongoing observations on possible off-target harm to humans or ecosystems as well as the monitoring of resistance development.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today