Veterinarska stanica, Vol. 51 No. 2, 2020.
Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.46419/vs.51.2.7
Insecticide fipronil in poultry products in the European Union
Maja Đokić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3071-6208
; Hrvatski veterinarski institut, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Marija Sedak
orcid.org/0000-0001-6861-0436
; Hrvatski veterinarski institut, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Nina Bilandžić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0009-5367
; Hrvatski veterinarski institut, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the phenylpyrazole group. It is an insecticide that acts by targeting the GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) receptor and has favourable selective toxicity to insects rather than mammals. Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009, fipronil is not authorized in plant protection products and it is forbidden to treat animals intended for human consumption in the European Union (EU). The maximum permitted residue level (MRL) of fipronil is 0.005 mg/ kg for eggs and poultry, as established under Regulation 396/2005 on maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on food and feed of plant and animal origin. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified fipronil as a mildly dangerous class II pesticide. Consuming small amounts of fipronil causes nausea, headache, vomiting, stomach pain, weakness and dizziness. After absorption in humans, it is distributed into tissues and releases active metabolites that accumulate mainly in adipose tissue. Experiments in mice have shown that prolonged exposure to high doses of fipronil causes thyroid cancer in males and females. The occurrence of fipronil in eggs in the EU was reported in Belgium in 2016. As a consequence of the identified misuse of fipronil found on chicken farms, EU Member States and the European Commission have agreed to carry out ad-hoc monitoring of fipronil insecticides and other acaricides in eggs and poultry meat. In a monitoring report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 742 samples (13.6%) of a total of 5439 eggs and poultry samples in EU Member States and Iceland exceeded the legal limits. Most inconsistent results were related to fipronil in chicken eggs and fat of laying hens. No non-compliant results were found in samples from the Republic of Croatia. Samples exceeding the legal limit originated from the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary, France, Slovenia and Greece. EU Member States reported non-compliant fipronil results in the control of products marketed in the EU during 2017-2019 via the Central Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). In total, 128 different products with non-compliant fipronil concentrations were reported, with the most reports regarding eggs and egg products. In the framework of the measures taken, as many as 45 complaints were filed to withdraw contaminated eggs from the market, and nine confiscations and nine official detentions were carried out. Based on the identified non-compliant findings of fipronil, the European Commission has listed its control under Commission Coordinated Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/533 under the coordinated multi-annual EU control program for the period 2020-2022.
Ključne riječi
fipronil; pesticides; eggs; EFSA; food safety
Hrčak ID:
236151
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.3.2020.
Posjeta: 1.885 *