MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The National Food Chain Safety Office (NEBIH) said that though the amount of fipronil detected in the products does not pose a health risk, the contaminated products will be recalled, Hungary Today publication reported.
Millions of chicken eggs have been recalled in past weeks from shelves in European stores over fears that they might have been contaminated with fipronil. On Friday, the European Commission said eggs with fipronil had been detected in 15 European Union member states, as well as in Switzerland and Hong Kong. Suspected farms have been blocked in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France after being identified to have received treatment with product containing fipronil.
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide used to treat lice, fleas and ticks, and in large quantities, it can cause liver, kidney and thyroid gland damage. The chemical is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a moderately hazardous substance, and its use is illegal in the production of food for human consumption in Europe.