Denmark says tainted egg total hits 22 tonnes
Two more tonnes of insecticide-contaminated eggs have been discovered in Denmark, bringing the country's total to 22 tonnes, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said Friday.
"Nordic Egg imported two tonnes of scrambled eggs in packs of 10 kilos each which contained fipronil, albeit not at levels that pose a health risk. These are being recalled," the agency said in a statement.
On Thursday, it said 20 tonnes of boiled and peeled eggs imported from a Belgian supplier had been found to contain traces of fipronil. Those were sold mostly to cafes and caterers, it said.
Fipronil is a chemical commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals but is banned by the European Union from use in the food industry.
The EU insists there is no threat to human health, but the World Health Organization (WHO) says that when eaten in large quantities it can harm people's kidneys, liver and thyroid glands.
Hong Kong, Switzerland and 15 European Union countries have all received eggs contaminated with fipronil, according to officials.
© 2017 AFP
