France publishes list of tainted egg products

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

France’s Agriculture Ministry on Thursday published a list of 17 products made from pesticide-contaminated eggs that had been pulled from local supermarkets.

Fipronil, classed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization as a hazardous pesticide that has been banned for use on farm animals, has been confirmed in food products across 17 European countries, the U.K. and as far away as Hong Kong.

Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert confirmed last Friday that over 250,000 contaminated eggs had come into France from Belgium and the Netherlands, where Dutch police have arrested at least two company directors suspected of playing a significant role in a global scandal involving the contamination.

The ministry’s initial list contained products from the Netherlands and sold in French supermarkets including Franprix, Leader Price, Monoprix and Casino whose Fipronil levels exceeded the maximum residue limit.

"The products on this list were identified by controls carried out by Dutch companies. These non-conforming products were immediately withdrawn from sale in France by the distributors concerned," the ministry said in a statement.

But it noted that the levels of Fipronil found in the products do not represent a risk to consumers.

The ministry said investigations at farms continue to ensure the absence of Fipronil use in France and the interim results will be available at the end of the week.

Since July 20, millions of eggs have been destroyed or removed from supermarket shelves across Europe. Investigations have been launched in the effected countries.