Contaminated Eggs: No Products Based on Fipronil Are Registered in Morocco

Rabat – No products based on Fipronil are registered in Morocco, either in agriculture or in domestic animals whose products are intended for human consumption, said the National Office for Health Security of Food Products (ONSSA).

The Office noted in a statement on Tuesday that this molecule is only allowed for dogs and cats as a veterinary drug for the treatment of external parasites.

The ONSSA said it is monitoring closely developments concerning the withdrawal of contaminated eggs from certain European countries following the presence of an insecticide (Fipronil), reassuring the consumer of the quality and safety of eggs on the national market.

According to the same source, Morocco does not import eggs for consumption, except for small quantities imported during the month of Ramadan in 2016 following the appearance in Morocco of low-pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2), noting that the production of eggs for consumption, about 5 billion units, “covers all the needs of Moroccan consumers, and even exports to certain African countries.”

The ONSSA noted that the case arose out of European poultry farms that have used a product containing Fipronil to control red lice in poultry. This molecule is authorized in Europe in the field of agriculture and as an external antiparasitic for dogs and cats.

Nevertheless, the said molecule is prohibited for the treatment of animals whose products are intended for the food chain. According to the World Health Organization, Fipronil is considered to be “moderately toxic” to humans.