Hong Kong removes contaminated eggs

Hong Kong has annouced that all fipronil-contaminated eggs imported from the Netherlands have been removed from supermarket shelves.

Inspections on imported eggs have been stepped up after two samples from the Netherlands were found to contain excessive levels of the pesticide.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that all poultry eggs imported from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium have been held for testing since last week and so far no eggs have been found with excessive fipronil.

The move follows the EU’s announcement that contaminated eggs from Dutch poultry farms have entered fifteen European countries as well as Switzerland and Hong Kong.

The Commission are to provisionally call a high level meeting of ministers and the representatives of the relevant authorities and all member states concerned by the issue of the contaminated eggs on the 26 September.

Since late July, millions of eggs have been pulled from the shelves of supermarkets across Europe, though some national regulators have voiced concern that many contaminated eggs have already entered the food chain, mainly through processed products such as biscuits, cakes and salads.

On Friday, France’s Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert said about 250,000 affected eggs had been sold in the country since April, adding that all products containing eggs from contaminated farms would be taken off the shelves.