20 tonnes of contaminated eggs sold in Denmark: food authority

STOCKHOLM: Twenty tonnes of fipronil-contaminated eggs have been sold in Denmark, the country’s Veterinary and Food Administration said on Thursday.

“The Danish company Danaeg Products has received a total of 20 tonnes of boiled and peeled eggs from a Belgian supplier.Mostly been sold to cafeterias, cafes and catering firms, and have most probably not been sold in Danish retail stores to any large degree,” the agency said, adding the eggs posed no risk to human consumption.

“Tests analysed in the Netherlands showed traces of fipronil in it, but not at a level harmful to people’s health. Because the contents are illegal, Danaeg Products is recalling the eggs from their customers,” it added.

The administration had earlier this week said Denmark was unaffected by the tainted egg scandal spreading across Europe.

“The Veterinary and Food Administration is following the issue closely, and cannot exclude that further examination may uncover more imports of fipronil-tainted egg products to Denmark,” it said.

Millions of eggs have been pulled from supermarket shelves in Europe.

The contaminated eggs have mainly come from the Netherlands, followed by Belgium and Germany. Scores of farms in the Netherlands and Belgium have been shut.

Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, France and Luxembourg have also now announced that they have found contaminated eggs.

Fipronil is commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals but is banned by the EU from use in the food industry. It can harm people’s kidneys, liver and thyroid glands.

With questions growing about how the contamination happened and whether consumers have been kept in the dark, pressure has grown on the two countries at the centre of the scandal—the Netherlands and Belgium.