eggs

Eggs from a chicken farm in Tilligte, Overijssel were found to contain toxic pesticide fiprionil. As a result of this contamination, the farmer's over 3 thousand chickens were killed or taken away. His stock of some 45 thousand eggs was also destroyed, De Gelderlander reports.

This is the second time in less than nine months that this farmer was hit by such a disaster, according to the newspaper. The first time was in mid-August last year. 

The fipronil contaminated egg scandal is spreading to more and more countries. Since it was discovered that the toxic pesticide was used illegally in the Netherlands and Belgium a few months ago, 45 countries found fipronil in their eggs and egg products, the Telegraaf reports.

Of the 28 EU member states, 26 reported finding fipronil in their eggs and egg products, European Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis of Health and Food Safety said on Tuesday. Only Lithuania and Croatia haven't reported finding the pesticide.

Thirteen supermarket chains affiliated with Superunie quietly recalled waffles and cookies from their shelves on Wednesday because they contain toxic insecticide fipronil, AD reported on Thursday. "We expect more such silent recalls", Wilco Jansen of Emté said to the newspaper. "There are many products with a lot of egg in them. No idea where this is going to end."

The Tweede Kamer is cutting its summer holiday short in order to debate the fipronil contamination of eggs from Dutch poultry farms with Public Health Minister Edith Schippers and State Secretary Martijn van Dam of Economic Affairs, NU.nl reports.

Two men suspected of endangering public health in the fipronil contaminated eggs crisis were remanded into custody for 14 days by a magistrate on Tuesday. The two suspects are managers at Barneveld pest control company ChickFriend, the company considered to be the source of the fipronil contamination in the Netherlands, NU.nl reports.

Two Dutch suspects arrested last week in connection with the so-called fipronil scandal, will be arraigned on Tuesday. The magistrate will decide whether they will be kept in custody, ANP reports. 

The Public Prosecutor consider three Dutch persons suspects in the fipronil contamination scandal that resulted in millions of eggs being recalled from supermarkets. The suspects are two managers of pest control company ChickFriend and Nick H., whose company is suspected of delivering fipronil to the Barneveld company, NOS reports. ChickFriend is considered the source of the fipronil contamination in the Netherlands. 

Toxic insecticide fipronil was discovered in Dutch eggs in November 2016 already, Belgian Agriculture Minister Denis Ducarme said in an emergency meeting about the fipronil crisis in Brussels on Wednesday. He also accused the Netherlands of taking too long to share this information, NU.nl reports.

Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA decided to test chicken meat for fipronil after all. Admin from company ChickFriend showed that the company used the toxic insecticide at a number of meat companies too, AD reports. 

ChickFriend is considered the source of the fipronil contamination in the Netherlands. 

"This week we are going to do sample slaughters to see whether there is fipronil in the meat. Last week all our attention was focused on eggs", a spokesperson for NVWA said to the newspaper. 

German supermarket chain Aldi is removing all eggs from the shelves across the country because of fipronil found in eggs from some Dutch poultry farms, the supermarket chain announced on Friday. According to Aldi, this is a "precautionary measure", ANP reports.

Agricultural organization LTO Nederland is furious that the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA advised consumers to show restraint in eating eggs until the results of an investigation into eggs' fipronil content are in. "That is a terrible and unnecessary statement", Eric Huber, chairman of the poultry farm department, said to Radio 1 Journaal on Wednesday. "It leads to unnecessary unrest among consumers."