WattAgNet: 215,000 Fipronil-tainted eggs found in Bulgaria

Country’s Food Safety Agency says eggs were confiscated and will be buried

About 215,000 eggs that were tainted with Fipronil were discovered at a warehouse and in shops in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the country’s Food Safety Agency reported on September 19.

According to an agency spokesperson, the eggs had enough residues of Fipronil to be above acceptable levels, but not excessive enough to be considered toxic.

The eggs were confiscated and will be buried. Meanwhile, officials are looking for more potentially Fipronil-contaminated eggs.

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in the country, with an estimated population of more than 341,000 people.

Fipronil, a pesticide used to treat animals for fleas, ticks and lice, is legal for some animals, but is not legal for use around food-producing animals, including poultry.

In June, the Dutch food safety authority, NVWA, started to investigate the use of Fipronil at layer farms after traces of the chemical were found in eggs by Belgian authorities.

Since eggs from the Netherlands are shipped in large volumes not only to other countries in Europe, but also across the world, leaving global repercussions.

Two men were arrested in the Netherlands in August in connection with the Fipronil scandal.