Belgian supermarkets pull local eggs from sale
Three of the country’s largest supermarket chains have pulled locally grown eggs from their shelves as a ‘precautionary measure’ against the fipronil insecticide
Have to eat ’15 eggs a day’ to exceed limit
The newly installed federal minister for agriculture, Denis Ducarme, issued a statement at the weekend in which he said the government would guarantee “complete transparency” regarding the situation, which saw the banned insecticide showing up last week at chicken farms – first in the Netherlands and then in Belgium, France and, most recently, Germany.
Ducarme called on federal food safety agency FAVV to deliver a detailed report on the actions it has taken in relation to the contaminated eggs. Fipronil is an insecticide used to treat infestations in animals of ticks, mites and fleas. It is banned in the poultry industry, however, because of the risk of infiltrating eggs.
Early last week, FAVV discovered traces of fipronil in eggs from farms that had used a product obtained from a poultry industry consultant in Antwerp province. Tests showed that levels of the contaminant were not above EU safety limits, and FAVV concluded that there was no risk to human health.
Federal health minister Maggie De Block repeated that conclusion at the weekend, based on information, she said, relating to 80% of Belgium’s egg production. “Analysis of these eggs shows a presence far below the very strict European norms, in comparison with the Netherlands, where various results show the European limits being exceeded,” she said.
Illegal product sold to farmers
The contamination is alleged to have come from a Dutch supplier of insecticide, which mixed fipronil in with a legal product. Users of the produce were apparently unaware of the presence of fipronil, according to De Block.
FAVV will now carry out a monitoring phase, with inspections and tests across the industry. At the same time, the federal agriculture ministry will make contact with its Dutch and German counterparts to exchange information.
For customers, there is no reason to be concerned. All of the other eggs in Delhaize stores are safe to eat
Jan Tytgat, a professor at the University of Leuven and one of Europe’s leading toxicologists, said he was “satisfied” with the government’s actions. According to the figures provided, he told De Standaard, a person weighing 70 kilograms would have to eat 15 eggs a day to be affected by the levels of fipronil that have been found.
The three supermarket chains, meanwhile, said they had withdrawn the eggs as a precautionary measure. At Colruyt, the eggs pulled came from one specific supplier, a spokesperson said, and represented only about 1% of eggs sold.
Albert Heijn carried out a recall in its stores in the Netherlands and Flanders, affecting eggs originating in the Netherlands. Delhaize pulled only one type of eggs, a 12-pack from its own-brand 365 range. “For customers, there is no reason to be concerned,” a Delhaize spokesperson said. “All of the other eggs in Delhaize stores are safe to eat.”
The committee of the federal parliament for economy and agriculture will meet in emergency session on Tuesday to be updated on the fipronil situation.
Photo courtesy Gazet van Antwerpen
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