Millions of eggs have been removed from shelves in the Netherlands and Germany over concerns that products have been contaminated with fipronil.
Fipronil is a toxic insecticide that is banned from use in the production of food for human consumption, but is a common ingredient in veterinary products for treating fleas, lice, and ticks.
Around 180 farms in the Netherlands have been temporarily shut down and a criminal investigation has been launched to establish the scale of the issue, according to the Guardian.
The Dutch food and welfare authority, Nederlandse Voedsel en Warenautoriteit, has issued a list of contaminated eggs. The authority warned consumers that one batch of eggs “had such elevated levels of fipronil that their consumption would present a serious public health risk".
Retail Response
De Volkskrant reports that Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has removed fourteen egg products from its supermarkets, while Jumbo has also removed an un-reported number.
In Germany, both Aldi and Rewe have said that they are removing all Dutch eggs from their stores as a precautionary measure, and are carrying out tests on egg deliveries.
"The Rewe Group will not sell eggs from the Netherlands until they are demonstrably free of fipronil," said Dr Klaus Mayer, head of Rewe Group quality management.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
