A meeting of European Union agriculture ministers in Estonia yesterday (5 September) to discuss the fipronil contaminated eggs crisis suggested the outbreak has now been mostly contained.

Following the meeting, EU Health and Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitas, said: “Today, I heard detailed explanations from the ministers; it is confirmed that all suspected farms have been blocked and contaminated eggs and egg products are being destroyed.”

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

He added: “The impact of the illegal use of this product {the insecticide fipronil} on laying hens has reached an EU-wide dimension with today hundreds of farms blocked for production, 26 Member States and 19 Third Countries involved.”

Andriukaitas conceded work still needs to be done.

Fact-finding missions to the most affected member states are scheduled in late September/early October and a ‘high level’ ministerial meeting is to be held in Brussels on 26 September.

“We’ll discuss how to strengthen the way the EU networks are dealing with food safety and food fraud function,” Andriukaitas said.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“I have invited the ministers to attend. This will be an opportunity to draw some conclusions that we will be then able to put forward to our next formal Council agenda.”

Eggs contaminated with fipronil have now been discovered in 40 countries.

The contamination has been traced back to a supplier of cleaning products in the Netherlands. Two Dutch men who ran the services company Chickfriend have been arrested.

Fipronil is widely used to treat pets for ticks and fleas but its use in the food chain is forbidden. It can cause organ damage in humans, if consumed in a large enough quantity.

The EU has launched an European Union-wide monitoring exercise investigating the possible use of illegal substances in egg products and egg producing farms.