Practices responsible for egg contamination ‘must cease’ - German agriculture minister

Record ID: 905383

  • Title: Practices responsible for egg contamination ‘must cease’ - German agriculture minister
  • Date: 5th August 2017
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (AUGUST 3, 2017) (REUTERS) GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT AT PODIUM AT BEGINNING OF NEWS CONFERENCE NOTES AND PHONE OF JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER, CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT, SAYING: "The German government takes the detection of the insecticidal substance fipronil very seriously. It is forbidden to treat animals intended for food production with fipronil throughout the EU. According to what we know at present, the contamination has been caused by the herbal disinfectant Dega 16, which is purely vegetable and has been approved for livestock management. This herbal agent was apparently watered down with fipronil, which was banned for livestock. As far as we know so far, this has been the case in Belgium." SCHMIDT DURING NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER, CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT, SAYING: "In the course of further investigations it was discovered that the product, which was illegally watered down with fipronil, was also delivered to hens in Lower Saxony. According to what we currently know, we have to assume that eggs produced in Lower Saxony have been delivered to other German states. The exact delivery flow is currently being tracked and examined with high priority. The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety is operating their consumer protection portal lebensmittelwarnung.de and here the relevant authorities of the federal states are providing information and the details of the stamps printed on the effected eggs. Through these stamps printed on each egg, one can see whether or not the eggs in these named batches are also affected or not." JOURNALISTS IN THEIR SEATS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER, CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT, SAYING: "Even if we assume that an acute health hazard is practically impossible, as per the current findings, the unlawful use of the insecticide fipronil in the farming of food-producing animals, such as in the case of egg-laying hens, is not acceptable and must cease immediately. This has to happen at all levels consequently and with the highest priority." PHOTOGRAPHER DURING NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE CONCLUDING
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2017 12:18
  • Keywords: Aldi stops selling eggs in Germany food safety scare fipronil Netherlands trade
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016SVPPHJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt said on Thursday (August 3) the German government was taking the discovery of contaminated eggs very seriously and practices responsible "must cease immediately", before adding an "acute health hazard" from the eggs is "practically impossible".
    Discount supermarket chain Aldi said on Friday (August 4) it was withdrawing all eggs from sale at its more than 4,000 stores in Germany as a precaution, as a scare over the possible contamination of eggs with insecticide spreads.
    Traces of insecticide fipronil were found in eggs in Belgium and the Netherlands last month, which has led to the temporary shut-down of some poultry farms and to supermarkets halting the sale of eggs from the Netherlands.
    Fipronil is considered by the World Health Organization to be moderately toxic, with high doses leading to feelings of nausea and dizziness. Very large quantities can cause damage to the kidneys, liver and lymph glands.
    Speaking in Berlin, Schmidt said he had to assume contaminated eggs could have been delivered to other German states from the northern state of Lower Saxony.
    Investigators suspect the chemical may have gotten into eggs through a contaminated detergent against mites called Dega 16 that is used to clean barns, and criminal investigations have been launched in both Belgium and the Netherlands.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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