Directorate-General forHealth & Food Safety

Illegal use of fipronil containingsubstance in laying hen farms and

the consequences for the foodchain

Sabine Jülicher1

The contamination incident andcurrent situation

• Current situation in Member States with farmsblocked• BE, NL, DE, FR• IT and HU• Other Member States

• Measures as regards illegally treated farms and eggs/chicken meat (from end of life laying hens)produced on these farms

• Fattening chickens /broiler farms not affected by theincident

The contamination incident andcurrent situation• Possible risks for public health are considered to

be low- MRL: 0,005 mg/kg (lower limit of analytical

determination)- Adverse acute health risk related value:

for eggs 0,72 mg/kg and for chicken meat 0,77 mg/kg

• Illegal treatment with unauthorised substancesother than fipronil (such as amitraz)

Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach

In view of a high level of human health protectionand to ensure a co-ordinated approach amongstMember States, the Commission services haveput forward, via the RASFF, measures to betaken• On 31 July 2017, information on applicablemaximum residue levels, measures to betaken as regards illegally treated farms.

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Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach• On 7 August 2017, all Member States are to bevigilant as regards the products used for the controlof red mite in poultry establishments to ensure thatno treatments with unauthorised substancestake place.• On 7 August 2017, a proportionate approachproviding a high level of human healthprotection as regards processed compositeproducts.

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Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach

• On 16 August 2017, a reminder was sent thatall distribution of contaminated eggs/eggproducts/chicken meat has to be timelynotified to RASFF in order to ensure a timelynotification to the competent authorities of thecountry of destination (Member States and thirdcountries)

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Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach• In addition, yesterday on 30 August an extra-ordinary meeting of the Standing Committeeon Plants Animals Food and Feed has beenorganised to discuss

• the current situation• the further management of the incident in

particular as regards processing factors tobe applied for egg products and the approachas regards processed composite products.

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Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach

• A co-ordination of an EU-wide monitoring onthe presence of possibly illegally usedsubstances in eggs and poultry meat (fromend-of-life laying hens). Details of that co-ordinated EU-wide monitoring to be finalisedwithin the coming weeks.

• A harmonised approach for the disposal offipronil contaminated animal by-products(eggs, carcasses, feathers, manure, non-compliant food).

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Commission services actions in view ofharmonised approach• The Joint Research Centre shall organise onshort notice a proficiency test for official controllaboratories for the analysis of fipronil in eggs,egg products and chicken meat.• Furthermore it is foreseen that Directorate Forganises late September/early October factfinding missions in the most concerned MemberStates to gather information in view of futurefollow-up to this incident.

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International aspects

The Commission has sent an information note to thirdcountries on 10 August (which will be updated if thereare significant developments).

a)Restrictive measures applied by third countries(situation 30/08/2017)

• Ukraine has established an import ban of eggs, eggproducts and poultry meat from Belgium, Netherlands,Germany and France as from 21 August•Oman has an import ban for eggs from the EU

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International aspects

• Hong Kong has put in place a systematic testing ofeggs from EU for the presence of fipronil.• Brazil has prohibited the import of egg products fromone establishment in Belgium and one establishment inNetherlands• Kurdistan has prohibited the import of eggs fromBelgium Netherlands and Germany.• Several Third Countries, such as USA, Brazil, Japan,Malaysia, Russia have put forward questions orrequested more detailed information, which has beenprovided and no restrictive measures have been (yet) putin place by these countries

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International aspects

b) Findings of illegal use of fipronil in laying henfarms in Third countries

Following the findings in EU controls have beenperformed on the possible illegal use of fipronil in layinghen farms in South Korea and Taiwan. Illegal use offipronil and other unauthorised substances havebeen observed in several farms in these countries.Also China has announced on 25 August to control thepossible illegal use of fipronil on domestic laying henfarms.

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Interaction between the RASFF, AAC andthe AAC-Food Fraud (AAC-FF)

• On 6 July 2017, Belgium initiated a "normal case"through a request for information to TheNetherlands in the Administrative Assistance andCooperation System (AAC). This system allowsMember States to liaise bilaterally (or multilaterally)to rapidly confirm suspected cases of fraud.Belgium initiated a "normal case" through a requestaddressed to another Member State, meaning thatthe Commission was not an addressee of thenotification. 13

Interaction between the RASFF, AAC andthe AAC-Food Fraud (AAC-FF)

• This system should not be confused with the Rapid AlertSystem for Food and Feed (RASFF). The Rapid Alert Systemis a key tool to ensure the cross-border flow of informationto swiftly react when risks to public health are detected inthe food chain. The Commission task is to verify the RASFFnotifications and informing third countries. The Regulationintroduces exact deadlines for Member States (48 hours) aswell as the Commission (24 hours) for transmitting alertnotifications.• The Commission became aware of the eggs contaminatedwith fipronil on 20 July when the Belgian authoritiesinformed all other Member States through the Rapid AlertSystem

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Thank you foryour

attention !15