Scramble to unravel the ‘cover-up’ over toxic eggs

THE European Commission has been implicated in allegations of a cover-up which allowed poisoned Belgian and Dutch eggs to contaminate the British market.

The revelations came after the Food Standards Agency said that 700,000 of the eggs had been tracked to Britain.

Processed foods containing eggs, including sandwiches and salads, have been recalled by leading supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Asda.

Questions

At least 15 EU countries, plus Switzerland and Hong Kong, have now been affected by the “toxic” eggs, which contain the potentially dangerous chemical Fipronil.

At least 250,000 of the eggs have also been reported to have been tracked in France, according to the authorities there.

The scale of the crisis has again raised questions over whether the EU and the European Commission – which proposes legislation, implements decisions and manages the day-to-day business of the EU – are fit for purpose to protect consumers across the Continent.

It emerged that European Commission officials in Brussels knew about the danger early last month.

According to a new report, Belgium’s food safety authority alerted Dutch officials and the Commission to the scare on July 6.

The report, dated July 6, states: “Question addressed to the Netherlands via the anti-fraud system AAC-FF, explaining the hypotheses concerning the original contamination. This message is also read by the European authorities that operate the system.”

But the Commission denied any responsibility for allowing the eggs to continue to be exported.

A trade spokesman for the Commission, Daniel Rosario, pointed the finger at Holland and Belgium.

He said during a press conference that the affected countries have “primary responsibility” to investigate the origin of the contaminated products but the EU institution will “assist” if required.

“Member states have the primary responsibility for conducting investigations and taking appropriate measures. The Commission has taken and continues to take all available measures to assist in this.”

But in a desperate move the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety pleaded for the “blame game” to stop.

“Blaming and shaming will bring us nowhere and I want to stop this,” said Vytenis Andriukaitis. He added: “But first things first. Our common job and our priority now is to manage the situation, gather information, focus on the analysis and lessons to be learned in a view to improve our system and prevent criminal activity.”

Yesterday Dutch police detained two men suspected of being involved in the illegal use of Fipronil at poultry farms.

The pesticide is banned by the EU for use on animals destined for human consumption.