The German government has recalled thousands of eggs contaminated with the chemical fipronil

The Agriculture Ministry of the state of Lower Saxony has said that approximately 73,000 eggs due to be sold across six German states are contaminated with the insecticide fipronil.

The new contaminated batch of eggs from the Netherlands arrived on supermarket shelves in Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, the ministry said Monday. A recall of the eggs has been initiated.

The news of the contaminated eggs comes less than a year after it became public that fipronil, a toxic anti-lice agent banned from use in products for human consumption, had found its way into millions of eggs in the Netherlands.

The result was a huge fallout for Dutch authorities. Millions of eggs had to be taken off the market in Germany and other European countries, and several hen farms had to be closed in the Netherlands.

Altogether, a total of 97,200 eggs were delivered between May 17 and June 4 from the Netherlands to a packing center in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony. The state’s ministry was informed about the new contamination on Friday.

The scope and cause of the contamination remains unclear. </s> German authorities have recalled more than 73,000 Dutch eggs after finding them contaminated with the insecticide fipronil in six German states.

German's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said Tuesday there is no health hazard to consumers and that the eggs are being recalled as a precaution.

Millions of eggs were pulled from European supermarket shelves last year after it was revealed that fipronil, which can be dangerous to human health, was mixed with another treatment sprayed on chickens for ticks, fleas and lice.

Authorities in the Netherlands say the current case is likely linked to the same contamination, and that the insecticide isn't used any more but could have originated in tainted soil at a Dutch poultry farm. </s> FRANKFURT AM MAIN-German authorities have pulled some 73,000 Dutch eggs from supermarket shelves after they were found to be contaminated with fipronil, the same insecticide that sparked a huge food scare last year.

The agriculture ministry of Lower Saxony said the batch of tainted eggs had come from an organic firm in the Netherlands, but insisted there was currently no danger to human health. The amount of fipronil detected was above the legal limits set by the European Union but remains “far below a level that would constitute a health risk”, the ministry said in a statement late Monday. The tainted eggs were discovered in routine testing at a packing centre in the Lower Saxony town of Vechta, it said, adding that Dutch authorities had been notified. Six German states are affected by the recall. The scare revived memories of last year’s fipronil scandal, when millions of eggs contaminated with the insecticide had to be destroyed in 45 countries around the world. The eggs mainly originated from farms in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The discovery sparked a row between the two countries and other neighbours over how long officials knew about the problem before sounding the alarm. Commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals, fipronil is banned by the EU from use in the food industry. When eaten in large quantities fipronil can harm people’s kidneys, liver and thyroid glands, according to the World Health Organization. </s> The call follows news of Germany recalling some 73,000 eggs this week, found to be contaminated with the chemical fipronil.Last year, millions of hens were culled and eggs and food products were destroyed after the original discovery that the banned chemical had been used in a red mite treatment on layers in Europe.European Union investigators subsequently found contaminated eggs or chicken in eight different European Union countries.Now, more contamination has been found. Dutch authorities confirmed tothat two new cases had been confirmed and a third was under investigation.The latest cases began on a farm at Tilligte, which is close to the German border. The whole 3,000-bird free range layer flock was culled as a result of the discovery."A poultry farmer from Tilligte had sold his eggs to a supermarket chain that had sampled these in their regular quality check. The supermarket’s laboratory found an elevated level of fipronil in the eggs and notified the poultry farmer, who decided to cull his 3,000 chickens and recalled 45,000 eggs for destruction," said Rob Hageman, of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).The affected farmer was named in the Dutch press as Jos Kienhuis, who reportedly told RTV Oost that he believed his fields had been contaminated by residues of the chemical from last year’s fipronil scandal. His was one of 281 egg farms shut down during the original crisis last year."It was the second time this poultry farmer had to go through this," said Mr Hageman. "In August of 2017, at the height of the 2017 fipronil eggs contamination episode, his farm was also blocked and he had to cull 3,000 chickens and destroy 10,000 eggs."It is still unknown where the contamination came from. One plausible scenario is that the free range farmer rinsed his barn after the first culling and flushed the water onto the free range field," he said.Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, has called for Food Standards Agency to take "decisive action" to protect UK food businesses.He said: “Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these developments as we have been concerned for some time that the initial issues following the product recalls we saw last year have not been thoroughly resolved.“With the extent of the issue unclear, we are calling for random testing of all imported eggs and egg products.“Food businesses should protect themselves by specifying British Lion eggs and egg products, which are produced to the highest standards of food safety, and reassure their customers by using the British Lion mark on pack,” he said.In the United Kingdom some food products were removed from shelves in some supermarkets last year, but all of them included eggs imported from other countries. Investigations on British farms found no trace of the banned chemical.Although UK production was given the all-clear, the British Egg Industry Council said it would introduce an approved list of pesticides detailing which ones could be used on farms. </s> The Agriculture Ministry of the state of Lower Saxony has today (12 June) confirmed that approximately 73,000 eggs due to be sold across six German states are contaminated with the insecticide.Officials said the eggs had come from an organic farm in the Netherlands, and were delivered to a packing centre in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony between 17 May and 4 June.German agricultural officials have insisted there is no risk to human health.Millions of eggs were withdrawn from sale and laying hens were culled last year following the discovery that the banned substance had been used in the Netherlands and Belgium in a treatment for red mite, an ectoparasite of poultry.Last year's fipronil scandal led to more than 100 farms being shut down in the Netherlands, where the crisis emerged and eggs and products containing eggs being withdrawn from stores across Europe, including the UK.However, although foods were taken off shelve in the UK, investigations found no evidence of fipronil on British farms.Even so, the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) said it was introducing an approved list of pesticides that could be used on farms.The Council urged retailers, processors and food service companies to play safe and buy UK eggs.Andrew Joret, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these developments as we have been concerned for some time that the initial issues following the product recalls we saw last year have not been thoroughly resolved.“With the extent of the issue unclear, we are asking the Food Standards Agency to take decisive action to protect UK food businesses, and are calling for random testing of all imported eggs and egg products.Mr Joret added: “Food businesses should protect themselves by specifying British Lion eggs and egg products, which are produced to the highest standards of food safety, and reassure their customers by using the British Lion mark on pack.” </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Dutch poultry industry was hit hard by last year's fipronil crisis

Six German states have been told to pull some 73,000 eggs from sale after residue was detected from an insecticide called fipronil.

Agriculture officials in Lower Saxony said the eggs had come from an organic farm in the Netherlands and insisted there was no risk to human health.

Fipronil gets rid of lice but the EU bans it on animals such as chickens.

Last year millions of eggs were pulled from supermarket shelves across Europe because of a fipronil scare.

Officials said they had now detected traces of the insecticide in samples from a packaging depot in the German town of Vechta.

The residue was above the permitted EU level of 0.005mg per kg, but it was "well below a rate that would constitute a risk to health", they said (in German). The highest test showed a level of 0.019mg/kg.

The eggs came from an organic hen farm and were delivered between 17 May and 4 June.

The source of the latest discovery is still being investigated. A second round of tests has been conducted and the results are expected later this week.

The Dutch poultry industry was hit hard by last year's insecticide crisis, when millions of eggs had to be removed from sale. Ten farms closed at the time have yet to reopen.

Dutch food and consumer safety authority NVWA said it was monitoring whether the detection of fipronil had anything to do with the recent lifting of measures imposed amid fears of bird flu requiring farmers to keep free-range hens indoors.

Reports suggested that the insecticide may have originated in contaminated soil at the poultry farm in question.

"This is not a renewed use of fipronil in stables of poultry farms. It certainly does sound like a residue issue. Barns may have been flushed out," NVWA spokesman Rob Hageman told the BBC.

"It puts Dutch eggs in a bad light again," said poultry farmers association president Eric Hubers. Germany is the biggest market for Dutch eggs. </s> (Reuters) - Nearly 207 million eggs from a farm in North Carolina are being recalled from nine U.S. states after 22 people fell ill, the federal Food and Drug Administration has said.

It is the largest recall of eggs in the United States since 2010, the Food Safety News website reported.

The eggs may have been contaminated with salmonella braenderup, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, the FDA said on Friday in a statement.

The eggs were recalled by producer Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Indiana “through an abundance of caution,” the FDA’s statement said.

The eggs were distributed from a farm in Hyde County, North Carolina, which, Food Safety News said, produces 2.3 million eggs per day from 3 million laying hens.

The eggs reached consumers in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, South Carolina, and West Virginia. </s> S edona AZ (April 14, 2018) – More than 200 million eggs are being recalled over fears of salmonella.

Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Indiana, has issued a voluntary recall of its eggs due to possible contamination with the bacteria.

The eggs were distributed from the farm in Hyde County, N.C., and reached consumers in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia through retail stores and restaurants.

They were sold under the brand names Country Daybreak, Crystal Farms, Coburn Farms, Sunshine Farms, Glenview and Great Value; and at Walmart and Food Lion stores.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, twenty two illnesses have been reported to date.

The egg recall is the largest in the United States since 2010, according to Food Safety News.

The recall involves eggs with the plant number P-105, with the Julian date range of 011 through 012 printed on either side of the carton or package.

Salmonella can cause serious and even deadly infections in children or elderly adults. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. </s> SUNDAY, April 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 207 million eggs produced at a farm in Hyde County, N.C., are being voluntarily recalled because of concerns of contamination with the salmonella bacteria, the egg company announced.

In a statement, Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Ind. said that 22 illnesses but no deaths have so far been linked to the tainted eggs.

The eggs "have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," the company said Friday.

The recall arose after illnesses were reported in East Coast states. The outbreak "led to extensive interviews and eventually a thorough FDA (Food and Drug Administration) inspection of the Hyde County farm, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day. The facility includes 3 million laying hens with a USDA inspector on-site daily," the company said.

The eggs under recall were distributed from the North Carolina farm to retailers and restaurants in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, Rose Acre said.

All of the eggs come from plant number P-1065, with a "date range of 011 through date of 102 printed on either the side portion or the principal side of the carton or package." A full list of affected products can be found below in the company's news release.

Even healthy people infected with the strain of salmonella "can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain," the company noted, and heart or arthritic issues can also develop.

"Consumers who have purchased shells eggs are urged to immediately discontinue use of the recalled eggs and to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund," Rose Acre said. "Consumers with questions may contact the company at (855) 215-5730 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time."
Germany issues a recall of 73,000 eggs from the Netherlands suspected to be contaminated with fipronil.