Bulgaria seizes contaminated eggs from Germany

Authorities in Bulgaria have seized a tonne of powdered eggs contaminated with the same chemical that has led to millions of poultry products being recalled across Europe, the country's food safety agency said Tuesday.

The agency said it was informed by German officials earlier this month that a 500-kilogramme (1,100 pounds) batch of powdered eggs originating in Germany and used to make mayonnaise and ice cream was contaminated with the insecticide fipronil.

A second batch, also from Germany, was discovered on Tuesday.

Millions of eggs have been pulled from supermarket shelves and destroyed across Europe and dozens of poultry farms closed since the fipronil contamination was made public on August 1.

Commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals, fipronil is banned by the European Union from use in the food industry.

The issue has sparked a row between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, the three countries at the centre of the crisis, about how long officials knew about the problem.