Contaminated eggs scandal spreads from Europe to Asia

A scandal involving eggs contaminated with insecticide spread to 15 EU countries, Switzerland and as far away as Hong Kong on Friday as the European Commission called for a special meeting on the growing crisis.

Ministers and food safety chiefs from around the European Union are set to meet on September 26 in a bid to get countries to stop "blaming and shaming" each other over the scare involving the chemical fipronil.

Millions of eggs have been pulled from supermarket shelves across Europe and dozens of poultry farms closed since the discovery of fipronil, which can harm human health, was made public on August 1.


The issue has sparked a row between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, the three countries at the epicentre of the crisis, about how long they knew about the problem.

"Blaming and shaming will bring us nowhere and I want to stop this," Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for health and food safety, told AFP as he announced the meeting.

"We need to work together to draw the necessary lessons and move forward instead."

European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said that "this is not, let's be clear, a crisis meeting" and it is being held next month to get "distance to the events".

Fipronil is commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals but is banned by the European Union from use in the food industry.

The EU insists there is no threat to human health, but the World Health Organization (WHO) says that when eaten in large quantities it can harm people's kidneys, liver and thyroid glands.

- Dutch admit 'errors' -

Brussels said the 15 affected EU countries were Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Britain, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Denmark, along with non-EU Switzerland.

But in a sign the crisis is going global, Brussels also announced that Hong Kong had received some tainted eggs from the Netherlands, with the southern Chinese city becoming the first place in Asia known to be affected.

As well as dealing with the immediate food safety issue, the EU is also seeking to calm tempers over the egg row after a series of divisive crises in the bloc in recent years, from Brexit to migration.

Belgium earlier this week accused the Netherlands of knowing about the fipronil eggs since November 2016 and failing to notify other countries.

On Thursday Dutch Health Minister Edith Schippers admitted the government had made "errors" but denied a cover-up.

"We were well aware of a report of the presence of fipronil in the pens of egg-laying hens in November 2016, but there was no indication at the time that fipronil itself was found in the eggs," said Schippers.

A Dutch whistleblower separately said he had told the authorities that Chickfriend, the Dutch company at the centre of the scandal, was illegally using fipronil in the treatment of lice in chicken pens in The Netherlands.

"I am the anonymous whistleblower," Nick Hermens told the NPO public broadcaster.

A Belgian company, Poultry Vision, has said it provided Chickfriend with the chemical.

Dutch and Belgian investigators carried out coordinated raids on several premises on Thursday, arresting two people at Chickfriend.

However, Belgium itself has been forced to admit that it knew about fipronil in eggs back in June but kept it secret for nearly two months because of a criminal investigation.

- Fresh discoveries -

Fresh discoveries of contaminated eggs have continued daily.

Denmark said on Friday it had found two tonnes of fipronil-tainted scrambled eggs, bringing the total of contaminated eggs to 22 tonnes, mainly from Belgium.

Poland said it had discovered about 40,000 eggs imported from Germany.

French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert said that since April the country had sold nearly 250,000 contaminated eggs, imported from Belgium and the Netherlands, but the risk for consumers was "very low" given French eating habits.

The food scare is one of the biggest to hit Europe since the 2013 horsemeat scandal when equine meat was falsely labelled and mis-sold.

Previous food scandals include contamination of chickens and eggs by dioxin in 1999, which began in Belgium, and mad-cow disease -- cattle feed contaminated by the ground-up carcasses of animals infected with a deadly brain disorder -- which ran from roughly 1986-1998 and started in Britain.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

McDonald's to use only cage-free eggs by 2025

McDonald's Corp's 16,000 U.S. and Canadian restaurants will serve only eggs laid by cage-free chickens within 10 years, the company said on Wednesday.

McDonald's USA has been buying more than 13 million cage-free eggs annually since 2011. The long-awaited switch is happening as North American egg suppliers are slowly starting to rebuild flocks after the worst bird flu outbreak in U.S. history.

The move comes as McDonald's, the world's biggest restaurant chain, is preparing to serve breakfast all day at U.S. outlets in October. McDonald's USA, which is fighting sagging sales, made waves in March by announcing a two-year plan to phase out meat from chickens raised with antibiotics used to fight human infections.

McDonald's buys about 2 billion eggs annually for its U.S. restaurants and 120 million for Canada to serve breakfast items such as Egg McMuffin and Egg White Delight.

Fast-food rival Burger King already has committed to using only cage-free eggs by 2017. Other large companies such as Starbucks Corp, General Mills Inc, Nestle, Sodexo Inc and Aramark also are in the process of switching.

Groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Mercy for Animals and World Animal Protection have successfully lobbied many companies to adopt animal welfare practices. Such groups also have won commitments from nearly 100 major companies to phase out so-called gestation crates, which are small cages for breeding sows.

Celebrities such as film star Ryan Gosling have teamed up with HSUS to pressure Costco Wholesale Corp to eliminate cage-confined chickens from the company's egg supply chain. HSUS said Costco has committed to going cage free, but has not set a timeline for its full transition. HSUS said Costco rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc also has not set a timeline.

U.S. companies, led by burrito seller Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc and other popular brands, increasingly are sourcing their ingredients from suppliers who vow to use humane and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.

California voters in 2008 passed a law mandating that all eggs sold in the state come from chickens given more spacious living quarters. That law went into effect on Jan. 1 and other states and countries since have followed Calfornia's lead.

So far this year, the price of a dozen eggs has averaged 67 cents more in California than in the Midwest, said Brian Moscogiuri, market reporter for shell eggs and egg products at Urner Barry.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Undercooked eggs pose Salmonella threat

Eggs are a nutritious and economical food, but U.S. officials say in about a four-month period 1,600 reported cases of Salmonella were reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said thorough cooking is an important step in making sure eggs are safe:

-- Scrambled eggs: Cook until firm, not runny.

-- Fried, poached, boiled, or baked: Cook until both the white and the yolk are firm.

-- Egg mixtures, such as casseroles: Cook until the center of the mixture reaches 160 degrees F when measured with a food thermometer.

Homemade ice cream and eggnog are safe if you do one of the following:

-- Use a cooked egg-milk mixture. Heat it gently and use a food thermometer to ensure that it reaches 160 degrees F.

-- Use pasteurized eggs or egg products.

-- Dry meringue shells, divinity candy, and 7-minute frosting are safe -- these are made by combining hot sugar syrup with beaten egg whites. However, avoid icing recipes using uncooked eggs or egg whites.

-- Meringue-topped pies should be safe if baked at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. But avoid chiffon pies and fruit whips made with raw, beaten egg whites, instead, substitute pasteurized dried egg whites, whipped cream, or a whipped topping.

If a recipe calls for uncooked eggs, make it safe by doing one of the following:

-- Heating the eggs in one of the recipe's other liquid ingredients over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F.

-- Use pasteurized eggs or egg products.

Note: Egg products, such as liquid or frozen egg substitute, are pasteurized, so it's safe to use them in recipes that will be not be cooked. However, it's best to use egg products in a recipe that will be cooked, especially if you are serving pregnant women, babies, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

source: upi.com

Children most apt to outgrow egg allergy

Avoiding sweets such as pumpkin bread and cookies this holiday season might not be necessary for children with egg allergies, U.S. researchers say.

"More than half of egg allergic children can tolerate hen's eggs when they are baked at 350 degrees in products such as cakes and breads," Dr. Rushani Saltzman, an allergist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead study author, said in a statement. "Dietary introduction of baked egg by an allergist can broaden a child's diet, improve quality of life and likely accelerate the development of an egg tolerance."

Saltzman said the median dose tolerated was two-fifths of a hen's egg baked at 350 degrees for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Dr. Ruchi Gupta of Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the lead author of a separate study, found that of the eight common food allergens, children most commonly outgrew egg allergy.

"Food tolerance was observed in 1-in-4 children, with 55 percent outgrowing their egg allergy by age 7," Gupta said. "Developing an egg tolerance is the most common for children, followed by milk. A small proportion outgrew shellfish and tree nut allergies."

Dr. Richard Weber, an allergist who is president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said children who have shown a severe reaction to eggs are less likely to outgrow the allergy. Severe symptoms include rapid swelling of the skin and tissue, difficulty breathing and life-threatening anaphylaxis, Weber said.

"While these studies show many positive findings for children with egg allergy, parents must practice caution," Weber said. "Introducing an allergen back into a child's diet can have severe consequences, and only should be done under the care of a board-certified allergist."

Both studies were presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual scientific meeting.

source: upi.com

Amazing Health Benefits Of Eggs

MANILA, Philippines — For many decades now, physicians, food experts, nutritionists, heart/health associations have been divided in their opinions as to whether eggs are healthy or unhealthy foods. Because of this, many people avoid eating eggs – just to be on the safe side. Today, this is no longer the situation. Today, the amazing health benefits of eggs are now claimed, acclaimed and publicized.

Ever since I was a child, I have always believed the egg is one of God’s perfect foods to man. Why? Because I see my father eating four (4) cooked eggs (hard-boiled or sunny side up) as part of his breakfast every morning. My father died at the age of 95.

Let me share some amazing information on the nutritive and health benefits of eggs taken from Internet generated reports, books and other publications:

• Do you know that there are two (2) kinds of cholesterol, dietary (found in food) and blood (found in our bloodstream; also known as serum cholesterol). Do you also know that it is a misconception that dietary cholesterol becomes blood cholesterol as soon as we ingest an egg. Actually, our bodies manufacture the majority of our blood cholesterol;

• Do you know that studies have shown that it’s the saturated fat-rich foods that usually accompany eggs (like cheese bacon, sausage) and how eggs are often prepared (like frying in plenty of butter or salty ingredients) that are the culprits in raising the blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease – and not eating eggs per se.

• Do you know that eggs are super beneficial for the eyes. More particularly, eating eggs lower the risk of developing cataracts and prevent age-related muscular degeneration… because of the vision-protective carotenoid content of the eggs specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs contain bigger amounts of carotenoid than green vegetables;

• Do you know that eggs promote healthy hair, nails, and skin because of the rich sulphur content of eggs as well as the vitamin and mineral content of eggs;

• Do you know that one egg contains all the nine (9) essential amino acids and six (6) grams of high quality protein. Do you also know that eggs are one of the best dietary sources of naturally occurring vitamin D other than milk. Finally, eggs contain folate which help prevent birth defects and cardiovascular disease;

• Do you know that there is no significant link between heart disease and eating eggs. This is the result of a study by the Harvard School of Public Health. In another study, eating eggs may in fact help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attacks;

• Do you know that an egg yolk contains about 300 micrograms of choline, an important nutrient that aids in regulating the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system;

• Do you know that storing eggs in the refrigerator will keep them fresh for about one (1) month. It is best to keep eggs in their original carton or in a covered container so that the eggs will not absorb odors or lose any moisture. Eggs should not be stored in the refrigerator door since this exposes the eggs to too much heat every time the refrigerator is opened and closed.

• Eggs are one of the food types belonging to the major allergens as follows: (1) wheat; (2) cow’s milk; (3) hen’s eggs; 4) fish; (5) crustacean shellfish (including shrimp, prawns, lobster and crab); (6) tree nuts (including cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts); (7) peanuts; and (8) soy foods.

Food allergy symptoms vary from one person to another and may include skin rashes, hives, itching, and eczema; swelling of lips, tongue, or throat; tingling in the mouth; wheezing or nasal congestion; trouble breathing; and dizziness or lightheadedness and can also include fatigue, depression, chronic headache, chronic bowel problems (such as diarrhea or constipation), and insomnia.

• Do you know that eggs also protect us from cancer, especially breast cancer.

Today, thanks to continuous researches on the health benefits of eggs – we should not feel guilty anymore eating eggs. We should not give up eating eggs. Instead, we should enjoy it. Yes, the so-called cholesterol scare has been rebutted by many studies, reports and researches showing that eating eggs is healthy.

Have a joyful day!

source: mb.com.ph