By Lee Kyung-min
Eggs contaminated with possibly harmful chemicals have now been found on 66 farms here, the government said Thursday. Of the total, 62 were government-approved “organic” farms, further enraging the public over the government’s lax regulation.
The eggs were mostly contaminated with either fipronil or bifenthrin, both of which are insecticides used to kill pest infestations.
This is the latest development in the “eggs scare” triggered Tuesday after a government inspection raised the issue and a sales ban on eggs was enacted.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said the 66 farms were among 876 they inspected. The inspection is ongoing at 363 other farms nationwide.
Of the 876 inspected farms, 683, or 78 percent, were “organic” farms, which according to safety standards should sell eggs free of any harmful substance including insecticides.
Eggs from such farms cost up to twice the price of those that come from 193 “non-organic” farms, which are allowed to sell eggs after they pass safety tests for 27 harmful substances.
Of the organic farms, almost 10 percent, or 62, were found to have eggs contaminated with the insecticides. The agriculture ministry revoked their organic certification immediately.
Of the 62 farms, 27 sold eggs that failed to meet the even less stringent standard set for non-organic farms. Fifteen of the farms were in Gyeonggi Province, five in South Chungcheong Province, three in South Gyeongsang Province and one each in North Gyeongsang, South Jeolla and Gangwon provinces as well as Gwangju.
Eggs from all 27 farms and four non-organic farms will be recalled and destroyed. Eggs from the remaining 35 farms will be allowed for sale after removing the “organic” stickers on them. The ministry will require sellers to put a notification on the packaging for eggs that are safe to eat. The ongoing inspection of 363 more farms will be completed today.
The agriculture ministry has come under fire since Tuesday for failing to fully and promptly disclose the extent of the damage expected, further throwing the public into confusion. It refused to disclose how much of the banned substances were found in the eggs.
Korea has no regulations punishing famers who use fipronil. Many of them said using the substance was inevitable due to the summer heat waves when the number of insects spiked, infecting or even killing their livestock.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fipronil is considered “moderately hazardous,” but it can seriously damage the kidneys, liver and thyroid gland when consumed in large quantities.