There is strong suspicion that some chicken meat imported into some African countries from Belgium may have been contaminated with the hazardous insecticide fipronil, the general-secretary of the National Association of Egg Traders (NVE), Johan Bosch, said on Monday.
News of the egg contamination scandal has been gaining momentum in the European Union following the discovery of fipronil in the eggs of some EU-based poultry farms which has led to the recall of egg from some retail shops in Europe.
The egg sale recalled in European supermarkets was as a result of fears that they might have been contaminated with the poisonous fipronil. Eggs contaminated with fipronil have so far been detected in 15 European Union member states, as well as in Switzerland and Hong Kong, the European Commission said on Friday.
According to The Guardian, “There were lots of hens that were supposed to be slaughtered in September and October. Older hens. They have had the treatment with the fipronil… “We have samples of everything we have sent. [Meat from egg-laying hens] is sold all over the world but our first export market is Africa,” van Bosch said.
Just last week, Belgian Minister of Health Denis Ducarme said that the Dutch authorities knew about fipronil in eggs back in November 2016, but failed to inform EU partners about it. However, Amsterdam categorically rejected such accusations but prosecutors from Belgium and the Netherlands are involved in further investigation of the scandal.
On Thursday, Dutch authorities detained two men suspected of involvement in the case, and Belgian police conducted searches at 12 enterprises specializing in disinfection services and using fipronil.
You may wish to note that Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide used to treat lice, fleas and ticks, and when administered in large quantities, can cause liver, kidney and thyroid gland damage. The chemical is considered by the WHO to be a moderately hazardous substance, and its use is illegal in the production of food for human consumption in Europe.