25.08.2011

Dioxin contaminated eggs produced in the Netherlands have been exported to Belgium and Luxembourg. Eggs from one organic farm in the country had been sent to an egg packing station in Belgium and from there to one retail chain in the country and another in Luxembourg. The problem seems to be restricted to only one egg producing farm. Dutch authorities were unable to confirm the volume of eggs involved. Authorities in the Netherlands last week notified the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the incident that eggs containing dioxins at levels reaching 2.07 pg WHO TEQ/g and dioxin-like polychlorobifenyls at 12.31 pg WHO TEQ/g had been detected. A single organic facility had sent all their produce to a Flemish egg packing station.

Eggs contribute for about 4% to the daily dioxin intake of humans. Research among layer farms in the Netherlands and other EU countries has shown that organic eggs contain more dioxin than conventional ones and that a significant number of organic farms produce eggs with a dioxin content that exceeds the EU standard. The hens’ intake of dioxins from various sources leads to an increase in the dioxin content of organic eggs (De Vries et al. NJAS, 2006). 

In January 2011, Germany reported that millions of eggs and meat containing dioxins had been exported – triggering a Europe-wide food safety incident.