Fipronilincidentaffectseggmarketlongterm

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Dec 23, 2017 - Analytics

Fipronilincidentaffectseggmarketlongterm

"Anyone who wants to bake with German eggs during the Advent season should make an early effort to get eggs from domestic production," warns Henner Schönecke, Chairman of the Federal Association of German Eggs (BDE), with a view to the pre-Christmas season and the now commencing baking season. Comprehensive supply shortages are explicitly not expected, but: "The consequences of the fipronil incident from late summer are still influencing the supply situation of eggs on the German market." (we already reported on this topic in the August issue)

With the traditionally significantly increasing demand of Germans for shell eggs from mid-November, the effects of the fipronil incidents may occasionally become directly noticeable to consumers. And those who place particular value on the German origin of the eggs might not always find them in sufficient quantities in retail due to the limited supply.

Only four German laying hen farms were affected by the fipronil incidents, and they ended up in this situation through no fault of their own. However, there is now a particular shortage of eggs from Belgium and the Netherlands. This has consequences because the German production can currently only cover about 67 percent of the domestic demand itself - one-third has to be imported from neighboring countries.

Many of the affected foreign laying hen farms continue to be blocked and cannot deliver. German production cannot immediately make up for this volume. "Nevertheless, we are firmly convinced that all parties involved will make the utmost efforts to ensure a balanced supply of eggs of German origin in the interest of customer satisfaction," says Schönecke. He adds: "As a consequence, we must expand domestic production! Only if we can meet demand with new, animal welfare-friendly farms in Germany can the supply of safe eggs remain unaffected by foreign crises."

"Even though the affected Dutch and Belgian farms are striving to rebuild their stocks as quickly as possible, the normalization of the situation will probably extend well into the new year 2018. However, consumer protection and food safety must have priority!", adds ZDG President Friedrich-Otto Ripke.
BDE and ZDG therefore call on everyone involved in the egg market - suppliers and food retailers as well as consumers - to interact in a calm and understanding manner. Advent and Christmas offer the best framework for this.

In our Tentamus laboratories, we routinely conduct tests for fipronil. We provide fast and reliable results. Our customer service representatives are happy to assist you with any questions.

Source: bilacon Newsletter December 2017; food monitor Newsletter, November 20, 2017