World
17:19, 12-Aug-2017
About 250,000 eggs tainted with insecticide sold in France since April
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About 250,000 eggs contaminated with an insecticide called Fipronil, which were imported from the Netherlands and Belgium to France, have been consumed since April, French Minister of Agriculture and Food Stéphane Travert said on Friday.
Affected supermarkets are trying to recall a batch of about 48,000 tainted eggs from Belgium sold between July 19 and 28. It remains unknown how many of them have been already consumed.
Fipronil is used to get rid of lice and ticks from farm animals, however its use in the food industry is banned by the European Union. Over 11 countries in Europe have found eggs tainted with the chemical since August 1, when the scandal emerged.
Health authorities are trying to play down the effects of the insecticide on humans.
Consumption of the contaminated eggs poses little potential health risks, said an evaluation report released by the French health and safety agency National Social Security Administration (ANSES) on Friday.
The French Ministry of Agriculture and Food is still investigating about 80 companies that are involved in the scare. The ministry is trying to track down the whereabouts of the contaminated eggs and how Fipronil ended up being used in food.