Egg scare widens but farmers assure customers Irish eggs are 100% safe
Irish Farmers are assuring customers that Irish eggs are not affected by the current health scare sweeping Europe.
The EU has called for an urgent summit after revelations that eggs contaminated with insecticide in the Netherlands, have been found in 15 EU countries.
It's the biggest food scare to hit Europe since the horsemeat labelling scandal in 2013.
IFA National Poultry chairperson Nigel Reneghan says Irish eggs are perfectly safe.
"All eggs for sale in Irish multiplkes are 100% safe. They are all coming from Irish farms and Irish farms are not affected by this in any shape or form."
EU officials have revealed that 15 countries have reported receiving contaminated eggs or egg products in a growing food scandal.
Several producers in the Netherlands and Belgium are under investigation after eggs were found to have been treated with a product containing pesticide Fipronil.
Fironil is an anti-tick and flea pesticide which is banned in products which are destined for the human food chain.
Adverse effects include sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, dizziness, weakness, and seizures, according to the US National Pesticide Information Centre.
EU trade and agriculture spokesman Daniel Rosario said that farms have also been blocked in France and Germany, and named 13 other countries that have received products from those countries.
Hong Kong was the only non-European place mentioned.
Mr Rosario said the others are Sweden, Britain, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Denmark and Switzerland.
In a statement yesterday the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said it could confirm that in June, very small quantities of boiled eggs were supplied to nine catering outlets in Ireland.
"These eggs had a ‘use-by’ date of 17th July and are no longer available. Similarly, in early July, a small quantity of liquid pasteurised egg (with a ‘use-by’ date of 20th July) was supplied to a number of food businesses for use in bakery products.
"All of the food businesses concerned have been contacted and any remaining products removed from sale. The number of egg products imported is very small. The risk to consumer health is very low.
"Nevertheless, the FSAI will continue to trace any distribution in Ireland. Further updates will be provided as necessary."
Commission calls meeting on egg crisis to end member states ‘blaming and shaming’ https://t.co/yyGGObEsQU pic.twitter.com/pxr7baQBeu
— Euractiv Agri & Food (@eaAgriFood) August 11, 2017
The food scare is one the biggest to hit Europe since the horsemeat scandal in 2013 when equine meat was sold as other kinds of meat.
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