Why have eggs caused a stir in Central Europe?
Fipronil has been found in eggs. It is a substance commonly used as a pesticide for pets, but it is not approved for use in food production, e.g. in chicken farms. A pesticide product in which fipronil had been added to improve the effectiveness of the product had been used in some Dutch chicken farms for lice control. A company specialising in pest control is under police investigation for fraudulent operation.
What is fipronil?
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide for control of external parasites, used to combat and prevent fleas and ticks e.g. on dogs and cats also in Finland. Fipronil can also be used as a pesticide in specifically restricted applications. Fipronil is not authorised in Finland or anywhere else in the EU for use on production animals, such as egg laying hens.
Are eggs or egg products imported to Finland from Central Europe?
Eggs in shells have not been imported from Central Europe to Finland for retail distribution. The majority of the eggs consumed in Finland are also produced here. The import of eggs to Finland is restricted particularly by salmonella control based on stricter requirements than in other European countries.
Small amounts of egg products are imported to Finland for industrial use. In Finland, one lot of powdered eggs in storage has been found to contain fipronil. The lot had been imported from Denmark and the raw materials of the product were from Central Europe. The product has not been used in food and the company had itself immediately banned the use of the product.
Should I be worried if I have eaten Dutch eggs?
No. The fipronil concentrations that have been found have been so low that they do not cause any health risk to the consumer The supply of eggs from contaminated farms has been stopped so no more eggs will reach the market from these farms.
If we presume every egg to contain 1.2 mg/kg of fipronil, which is the highest concentration found in connection with this incident, an adult weighing about 65 kg could eat 7 eggs per day and a child weighing about 20 kg could correspondingly eat about two eggs per day without any adverse health effects.
Read more: List compiled by Dutch authorities of identification data on eggs containing fipronil.
Should I be worried if I have eaten food produced using Dutch eggs?
No. The fipronil concentrations that have been found in the eggs have been so low that they do not cause any health risk to the consumer Moreover, the egg used in the production of various foods, such as biscuits or ready-made sponge cakes, only accounts for a small proportion of the whole product.
Can I eat eggs in Hollad?
Yes you can. There are no eggs anymore in retail stores from farms where fipronil has been used. The authorities have identified these farms and eggs supplied by them have been withdrawn from the market and destroyed. The laying hens have also been destroyed. These farms will not be allowed to resume their operation until they have been found to be clean.
Are fipronil residues controlled in foods of animal origin?
The national contaminant control programme has not included analyses of fipronil residues in foods of animal origin produced in Finland. According to plans, fipronil will also be included in the pesticide analyses.
Based on their own risk assessment, food business operators can test or have the raw materials they use tested for also fipronil, in addition to residues of other pesticides, or require the suppliers of the raw materials to do this.