Netherlands: Scores of egg producers shut down as pesticide scandal spreads

[Palinurus]

Latest news update:

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/08/egg-sales-recover-following-fipronil-scandal/

Sales of eggs in the Netherlands have returned to their usual levels after a two-week slump caused by the pesticide scandal.

The statistics agency CBS recorded a sharp drop in supermarket sales (in Dutch) in the first half of August as leading chains such as Albert Heijn withdrew large numbers of eggs from sale.

In the first week of the month sales fell by 36% on the previous year’s figure, but two weeks later turnover was 3% higher than a year ago, statistics showed.

However, the effect on export sales, which account for the majority of Dutch egg production, still has to be factored in. In Germany, which has a 80% share of the export market, major chains such as Aldi and Rewe stopped selling Dutch eggs when the fipronil scandal came to light.

[...]

The scandal is estimated to have cost farmers €33m, while the impact on the entire food chain is valued at around €150m. Some farmers have threatened to sue the NVWA after they were told they would have to pick up the bill for the damage themselves.

Source: http://nltimes.nl/2017/08/28/claim-organization-help-farmers-hit-poison-egg-scandal

Claim organization Massaclaim is intervening in the so-called fipronil crisis. The organization launched a website (in Dutch) where affected poultry farmers can register for support in dealing with the problems resulting from millions of eggs being recalled from supermarkets because they contain too high quantities of toxic insecticide fipronil. Massaclaim's main goal is to prevent further bankruptcies in the sector, according to the organization, AD reports.

Through the website, the organization will help farmers write so-called continuity statements to apply for deferral of tax liabilities. Massaclaim is also talking with government agencies about providing emergency credits or guarantees, as well as compensation.

[...]

As a result of the ChickFriend treatment, millions of eggs came to be contaminated with too high quantities of fipronil and had to be recalled and destroyed. The direct damage to the poultry farmers involved in the fipronil crisis is currently estimated to be around 33 million euros. This amount only covers the eggs and chickens that had to be destroyed due to contamination, according to NU.nl. The amount of damage for entire sector is not yet clear. A total of 258 poultry companies currently can not sell any chicken or eggs.

 

[angelburst29]

Latest news update:

As a result of the ChickFriend treatment, millions of eggs came to be contaminated with too high quantities of fipronil and had to be recalled and destroyed. The direct damage to the poultry farmers involved in the fipronil crisis is currently estimated to be around 33 million euros. This amount only covers the eggs and chickens that had to be destroyed due to contamination, according to NU.nl. The amount of damage for entire sector is not yet clear. A total of 258 poultry companies currently can not sell any chicken or eggs.

Thanks for the updates, Palinurus. I'm just curious, with eggs - as well as chickens being stripped from the market - have you noticed a sharp increase in beef and pork prices? Could this Fipronil crises be a "marketing ploy" to increase the price of other meats, while the poultry industry tries to recover?

Since early August, millions of chicken eggs in Italy have been recalled from the shelves of European stores over fears that they might have been contaminated with fipronil, according to the statement of local police.

Over 90,000 Fipronil-Contaminated Eggs Confiscated in Italy
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201708231056726468-italy-contamination-eggs/

Over 90,000 eggs and approximately 30,000 hens in Italy were seized Wednesday due to detection of the fipronil insecticide, local police said.

 

[Palinurus]

I'm just curious, with eggs - as well as chickens being stripped from the market - have you noticed a sharp increase in beef and pork prices? Could this Fipronil crises be a "marketing ploy" to increase the price of other meats, while the poultry industry tries to recover?

I'm afraid you're reading too much into this 'crisis'. The egg industry in the Netherlands produces billions of eggs annually, mostly for exports. Same goes for chicken meat production, which BTW represents a completely different industry. Just one source to give an impression: http://zootecnicainternational.com/focus-on/netherlands-leading-country-european-egg-poultry-meat-exports/

The Netherlands hold an exceptional position in European egg and poultry meat trade. In 2013, they contributed 41.4 % to the shell egg exports of the EU and 23.6 % to the poultry meat exports. For many years the Netherlands have been the leading egg exporting country with a share of 12 % of the global export volume in 2012.

continued...

As I explained in Reply #6 of this thread, egg laying hens are not slaughtered for their meat after their laying time has expired, but their meat usually is processed industrially anyway -- only into other non-meat products. The example given was chicken soup (with almost no meat in it, more like bouillon or bone broth).

Some eggs have been recalled (several millions), several million others were destroyed before they could be sold and the contaminated egg laying chickens have been destructed as well because it was too expensive to feed them during the in between period or they simply were already too old anyway. Given the numbers, this is a mere trifle considering the industry as a whole and --again-- the chicken meat production, being a separate industry altogether, was totally unaffected by this fipronil problem AFAIK. It's mainly a disaster for those individual egg producing companies directly affected, and also reputation wise (bad publicity, bad public relations) for the industry as a whole.

Prices of beef and pork fluctuate constantly within fairly narrow ranges (mostly seasonally because of demands) and there has not been a significant difference in the last couple of weeks since production went unabated as planned.

So (alas ?) no marketing ploy to be discovered for the time being. ;)

 

[Palinurus]

Those arrested will remain in custody and isolation for another 30 days, fipronil widely used throughout Europe, Romania source of Dutch contamination, news round-up:

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/08/contaminated-egg-scandal-rumbles-on-fipronil-found-in-romanian-eggs/

 

[Oxajil]

Those arrested will remain in custody and isolation for another 30 days, fipronil widely used throughout Europe, Romania source of Dutch contamination, news round-up:

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/08/contaminated-egg-scandal-rumbles-on-fipronil-found-in-romanian-eggs/

Thanks for the updates, Palinurus :) So far, 22 countries are affected by this:

A spokesman for the European Commission told a sitting of the European parliament’s agriculture committee on Thursday that contaminated eggs have been found in 22 countries within and outside the EU. Ukraine and Oman have imposed an import ban on eggs from the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium.

I checked, and most of the export of eggs from The Netherlands goes to Germany. I think these two countries are affected the most by this. I read an article from a website of a Dutch bank where it said that it will take time before things will return to the way they were, and that there will definitely be losses (though, an estimate wasn't mentioned), and that other poultry farms (from other countries) may take advantage of this moment.

 

[Palinurus]

Thanks Oxajil.

I checked, and most of the export of eggs from The Netherlands goes to Germany. I think these two countries are affected the most by this. I read an article from a website of a Dutch bank where it said that it will take time before things will return to the way they were, and that there will definitely be losses (though, an estimate wasn't mentioned), and that other poultry farms (from other countries) may take advantage of this moment.

The following stems from the link I provided in Reply #32:

A closer look at the export flows reveals the role of Germany as the most important country of destination for the shell eggs for consumption exports (Table 8). The share of Germany increased from 64 % in 2000 to 79 % in 2010 and then fell back to 71 %. The fluctuation is a result of the earlier banning of conventional cages in Germany which led to a drop of the self-sufficiency rate to only 55 %. The Netherlands could increase their export volume to the eastern neighbor by 1.3 billion eggs. After the end of the transformation process, the German egg imports decreased considerably which led to an egg surplus in the Netherlands and to lasting low prices for the egg producers.

The Dutch egg industry is heavily dependent on egg exports to Germany, but on the other hand, Germany needs the imports from the Netherlands to meet the domestic demand. For a short time, Spain, Poland and France stepped in. Presently, about 74 % of the German imports come from the Netherlands.

 

[Aeneas]

Even if this is about the Netherlands, I thought this article belong here. It appears as if the French are having egg on their faces ;)

https://sputniknews.com/art_living/201709021057017548-france-contaminated-eggs-seized-russia/

Contaminated Powdered Eggs from France Seized in Russia – Watchdog
Almost 500 pounds of powered eggs laced with toxic insecticide have been seized in the western Russian city of St. Petersburg, according to a Russian consumer rights watchdog.
Hens are pictured at a poultry farm

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Almost 500 pounds of powered eggs laced with toxic insecticide have been seized in the western Russian city of St. Petersburg, a Russian consumer rights watchdog said Saturday.
"The entire 203-kilogram shipment imported into Russia has been seized by Rospotrebnadzor. None of the powdered eggs were sold in retail," the agency said in a statement on its website.

A scandal erupted in Europe after eggs at several EU farms were found to contain fipronil. EU regulations forbid farms that produce food for human consumption to use the substance to combat lice.

Millions of eggs have been recalled from supermarkets across the European Union this summer over fears of contamination as fipronil is considered to be harmful to humans if ingested in large quantities.

The article does not say what toxic insectide was found. The amount of 500 pounds is negligible and using a converter amounts to roughly 43000 eggs. _http://convert-to.com/732/powdered-eggs-nutrients-details-and-converter.html

 

[Palinurus]

Yes Aeneas, I quite agree that this belongs here. Thanks for finding and posting it.

France was already mentioned negatively a few times before.

 

[Palinurus]

News update: https://nltimes.nl/2017/09/05/fipronil-contaminated-eggs-found-45-countries

 

[Palinurus]

News update: https://nltimes.nl/2017/12/14/poultry-farmers-demand-millions-dutch-food-authority-poison-egg-crisis

Poultry farmers demand millions from Dutch food authority over poison egg crisis

By Janene Pieters on December 14, 2017 - 10:00

Agricultural organization LTO Nederland is threatening to take Dutch food safety authority NVWA to court over the fipronil contaminated egg scandal earlier this year. The NVWA must pay back the damages poultry farmers suffered due to this crisis, according to LTO. So far 120 poultry farmers joined this action in claiming damages around 50 million euros, RTL Nieuws reports.

Millions of eggs were recalled and production was halted on some 200 poultry farms over the summer after the NVWA discovered that eggs from those farms contain too high concentrations of insecticide fipronil. The World Health Organization considers fipronil to be moderately toxic to humans - large quantities can cause liver, kidney and thyroid gland damage. Barneveld company ChickFriend is believed to be the source of the fipronil contamination in the Netherlands. The company used a fipronil containing insecticide to treat the chicken stables of numerous Dutch farms against blood lice. Fipronil in itself is not a banned substance, but it is not allowed to be used anywhere near poultry.

The Dutch farmers are particularly angry about the fact that the NVWA knew since November 2016 that ChickFriend used fipronil in its pesticide, but only acted in the summer of this year. "Many poultry farmers' stalls were treated by ChickFriend after November 2016, while these entrepreneurs did not know or could not know that fiprionil was mixed in the agent used. The NVWA knew about the use of fipronil by ChickFriend and did not act sufficiently", LTO wrote in a press released.

The fact that the NVWA did not inform the poultry sector about this "is really incomprehensible and can not be explained", Eric Hubers, chairman of the poultry farming department at LTO Nederland, said to RTL. "This can not be allowed and must change. We must prevent the NVWA from acting this way in similar situations."

LTO Nederland gave the NVWA two weeks to respond, or they will take the matter to court. LTO particularly wants to "establish that the NVWA was negligent and that poultry farmers became the victim of this", Djura Hoeksma of LTO said to RTL. "It is now a question of guilt. The request will go to the Supreme Court if the NVWA does not respond. If the judge establishes this, then individual farmers can go to court."

The NVWA has not yet received a summons. "If we receive it, we will first study it before we can respond", a spokesperson said to the broadcaster.

Similar coverage here: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/12/poultry-farmers-sue-dutch-food-safety-board-for-egg-scandal-negligence/

 

[Palinurus]

Source: More fipronil found in eggs as farmer has to destroy 3000 chickens - DutchNews.nl

May 28, 2018

A poultry farmer has been ordered to destroy his entire stock of 3,000 chickens after traces of the banned pesticide fipronil were found in his eggs.

Jos Kienhuis, from Tilligte, told RTV Oost (in Dutch) he believed his fields had been contaminated by residues of the chemical from last year’s fipronil scandal, when his was one of 281 egg farms that were shut down.

The latest batch of tainted eggs were discovered during testing at a supermarket in the Netherlands. The farmer will also have to destroy all 45,000 eggs that were ready for distribution.

Last year contaminated eggs were found in 22 countries within and outside the EU, and Ukraine and Oman banned the import of eggs from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. Millions of chickens had to be put down and at the height of the crisis in August supermarket shelves were almost completely devoid of eggs.

Fipronil was used in a delousing agent used by a small company, Chickfriend, which is thought to have imported the oils containing the chemical from Romania via a Belgian supplier. The owners of Chickfriend are being prosecuted for endangering public health.

 

[Palinurus]

Here we go again once more:
Thousands of fipronil contaminated Dutch eggs in German supermarkets

Thousands of fipronil contaminated Dutch eggs in German supermarkets
By Janene Pieters on June 12, 2018 - 09:28

German supermarkets removed tens of thousands of Dutch eggs from themselves because they were found to be contaminated by toxic insecticide fipronil. The German Ministry of Agriculture says that there is no danger to public health, NOS reports (in Dutch).

It involved around 73 thousand eggs from an organic chicken farmer in the Netherlands. They were delivered between May 17th and June 4th and were sold in six states all over Germany. Some of the eggs were already sold to consumers before the contamination was discovered.

Fipronil is an insecticide used against lice, ticks and fleas. It is also used in flea collars for cats and dogs. The World Health Organization considers fipronil to be "moderately toxic" to humans. In large quantities it can damage the liver, kidneys and thyroid gland. The European regulations for the use of fipronil was adjusted on January 1st, 2017. Fipronil is banned from being used in pesticides in high concentrations.

In the summer of last year it was discovered that Barneveld company ChickFriend used this substance to combat blood lice at dozens of Dutch and Belgian farms. Thousands of chickens and countless eggs had to be destroyed. The substance was found in products in 45 countries. The fipronil crisis caused millions of euros of damages to the poultry sector.

A year later, the crisis is not completely over in the Netherlands. Last month it was discovered that eggs from a chicken farm in Tilligte, Overijssel contained the insecticide. And production is still partially halted at over 100 companies because there is still fipronil in the chicken manure, according to the broadcaster.

In May it was announced that the poultry sector is introducing additional controls to be able to better and more quickly detect the presence of fipronil.

Similar here: Fipronil found in thousands of Dutch eggs exported to Germany - DutchNews.nl

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Contaminated eggs scandal: report slams food safety board, egg producers - DutchNews.nl

June 25, 2018

A formal report into last year’s contaminated egg scandal, which led to 3.6 million hens being slaughtered, has slammed egg producers, government inspectors and ministers for failing to put food safety first.

Neither the poultry sector, the food safety board or the two ministries involved showed sufficient concern for food safety when the fipronil crisis broke, the report said.

In particular, the health and farm ministers failed to inform parliament and the public properly about the scandal, while the farming industry put profit ahead of food safety and did not carry out proper checks for banned substances.

The food safety board also showed major failings by not reacting ‘adequately’ when it was first tipped off about the contamination crisis at the end of 2016 and in early 2017. This allowed Chickfriend, which had supplied the anti-louse chemicals, to continue operating for several more months, the report said.

Barneveld-based company Chickfriend, now bankrupt, supplied its anti-louse agent to some 360 farms nationwide. It did not cooperate with the inquiry because it is currently the subject of a criminal investigation.

‘The egg sector had been plagued by a problem with lice for years,’ the report said. ‘Then along came a wonder product. Alarm bells should have started ringing immediately.’

The total damage of the scandal to the poultry sector is put at some €100m.

Former justice minister Winnie Sorgdrager, who led the investigating commission, declined to comment on possible damages for farmers who were affected because of the legal implications.

Dutch egg farmers are taking the food safety board to court for failing to do its job and say it should be financially responsible for their problems.

Similar coverage: Food safety not a priority for Dutch farmers, gov't in fipronil scandal: report

 

[Palinurus]

UPDATE: Egg farmers take Dutch food safety board to court over fipronil scandal - DutchNews.nl

Egg farmers take Dutch food safety board to court over fipronil scandal

April 15, 2019

Some 124 poultry farmers and the LTO farming lobby group are taking the Dutch state to court on Monday following the 2017 contaminated egg scandal, which led to millions of eggs and 3.5 million chickens being destroyed.

The poultry farmers and LTO say the government’s food and product safety board was negligent in dealing with the 2017 fipronil crisis which resulted in hundreds of poultry farms being closed down. Some have still not reopened fully.

They argue officials ignored reports dating from November 2016 that fipronil had been found in eggs following the use of a delousing agent made by Dutch company ChickFriend.

And they claim if NVWA officials had taken the reports seriously, many farms would not have used the pesticide containing fipronil to control a type of chicken lice, and the scandal would not have become so widespread.

‘I am joining in for justice,’ poultry farmer Helmus Torsius told broadcaster RTL Nieuws [Dutch only]. ‘The government made mistakes and I have been left with the damage. And I have built up extra debts to pay for cleaning the barns.’

Last year, a formal report into the contaminated egg scandal slammed egg producers, government inspectors and ministers for failing to put food safety first.

Neither the poultry sector, the food safety board or the two ministries involved showed sufficient concern for food safety when the fipronil crisis broke, the report said.

In particular, the health and farm ministers failed to inform parliament and the public properly about the scandal, while the farming industry put profit ahead of food safety and did not carry out proper checks for banned substances.

The food safety board also showed major failings by not reacting ‘adequately’ when it was first tipped off about the contamination crisis at the end of 2016 and in early 2017.

The government has consistently said that Chickfriend, which is now bankrupt, is responsible for the damages.

 

[Palinurus]

Source (Dutch only): Chickfriend aansprakelijk voor fipronilcrisis - Foodlog

In the Media
Chickfriend liable for fipronil crisis

20 May 2020, 15:14 - Editorial Board Foodlog

Today the Court of Arnhem ruled [in Dutch] that Chickfriend and sister company Chickclean are liable for the damage of the fipronil crisis. In 2017, the companies deliberately used the banned substance fipronil to control blood lice in poultry farms.

The owners declared at the end of 2019 [in Dutch] that they never knew their product was harmful. They pointed to the Belgian distributor of the product as the guilty party but also held the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) liable. The NVWA allegedly did not sufficiently supervise. The Court of The Hague ruled [in Dutch] that neither the Dutch State nor the NVWA had been negligent.

When fipronil was found on poultry farms, millions of eggs were destroyed and 3.5 million chickens were killed. The owners of Chickfriend and Chickclean, Mathijs IJ. and Martin van de B., now have to pay compensation to approximately 120 poultry farmers. The amount of this compensation will be determined later. The direct damage was estimated at the time at €65-75 million [in Dutch].


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Similar coverage in Dutch: Luizenbestrijders wisten dat ze fipronil verkochten en moeten schade betalen