Evira warns about toxic eggs from Netherlands, Belgium

Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) on Friday warned about the toxic eggs, in case of arrival in the country from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Millions of eggs were withdrawn from the markets in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium after tests of chicken droppings, blood and eggs showed high levels of the illegal insecticide fipronil.

Fibronil is a veterinary product for getting rid of fleas, lice and ticks, but it is prohibited by law to use in animals destined for human consumption.

Evira in a press release said that fipronil is not used in Finland.

The director of Evira Thimjos Ninios said that it is impossible to make sure whether some tainted eggs already crossed Finland's borders, national broadcaster Yle reported.

But data from the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed leads the authority to believe that these eggs are not in Finland, he told Yle.

News agency Xinhua adds: In the Netherlands a total of 147 poultry companies remain closed due to the production of eggs containing the pesticide Fipronil, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) stated on Thursday.

Of those companies listed, there are 58 that produce eggs that are not safe for children. The rest of the companies have eggs that contain the poison but not above the norm. One company produces eggs that are a danger to public health.

According to the NVWA, all infected eggs, an estimated millions of eggs, have now been taken out of the Dutch stores.

The eggs contain Fipronil, a pesticide considered as slightly poisonous by the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is widely used to fight lice. For animals destined for the food chain, it is forbidden because it may damage the human liver, thyroid and kidney.

The poultry holders used a treatment against blood lice by Chickfriend, a company from the Dutch village of Barneveld. It is unclear whether Chickfriend knew there was Fipronil in the pesticide. The company has not commented on the matter so far.

Last Monday, the NVWA closed 180 poultry companies in the administration of Chickfriend as a precaution, causing an "egg crisis" in the country.

Of these 180 companies, 147 now remain closed. 20 companies are considered completely clean after investigation.