1,000 kg of contaminated egg yolk liquid found in Romania

Inspectors from Timis Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate (DSVSA) have found 1,000 kg of egg yolk liquid contaminated with Fipronil insecticide in a warehouse in Timis county, Western Romania. The veterinary health authority ANSVSA said in a press release that the contaminated egg yolk liquid had been imported from Germany, but "none of the product has been offered for sale.” The entire quantity will be incinerated, ANSVSA also said. “All the county territorial structures are ready to act in the shortest possible time if new notifications of Fipronil-contaminated eggs are received,” reads the press release. In the past weeks, millions of eggs were blocked from sale and withdrawn from the market in several European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany, after it was discovered that they had been contaminated with high levels of Fipronil. On Friday, August 11, the European Commissioner charged with food safety called for a meeting of ministers and national watchdogs to discuss the fallout of an eggs contamination scare, reports Reuters. The scandal has led to finger pointing between several European Union Member States. Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. It is widely used to combat ants, bugs, fleas, ticks, termites or other insects, but its use in the food chain is forbidden in Europe. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com